Family
by innuendoprofessional
Summary: A ghost from Sam's past returns to her life unexpectedly, forcing her to find a balance between her old family and her new one-especially amidst the chaos that surrounds her life. *Some slight changes were made surrounding Sonny's trial. **New Update!
1. Chapter 1

_Well I suppose the standard disclaimer should be posted. I do not own the rights to any General Hospital characters or places used in this story. Actually I'm pretty sure that I don't even own my original characters. If I remember correctly, I sold my mind for a doughnut at some point… Mmmmm, doughnuts… Anyways, enjoy!_

_June 2010_

Sam McCall was tired. The slimy businessman that she had been following had decided to have a marathon day: skipping work, running around town, and stopping at three different hotels throughout the day for illicit affairs. By 10am she had all of the photographic evidence her client needed to prove that her scum-bag of a husband had indeed violated the terms of the pre-nup but she tailed him the whole day anyways so she could give her client the whole story. And now, at 6pm, she had to take a quick shower and be at Jason's by 7:30 for dinner. Someone knocking at the door prevented her from entering her bathroom.

"Yes," She opened the door to reveal a man immaculately dressed in a Marine's dress uniform. The marine, Fitzpatrick his nameplate read, paused a moment before he acknowledged her.

"Ms. McCall," the man greeted her, "I don't know if you remember me but my name is James Fitzpatrick. We met at Captain- sorry Major Orsino's-"

"Funeral," she supplied for him, "Yeah I remember you." She grimaced as she remembered the last time they had met. Both stood waiting for the other to say something.

"Can I come in, miss?" Sam stepped back to let him into her apartment. He removed his hat and stepped into the middle of her living room. She sighed, waiting for him to speak.

"Why are you here?" She asked after a few minutes. The question had come out harsher than she had intended; the marine shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"It's sort of a long story, miss. So if you could save all of your questions until the end," he waited for her to nod before he began, "When Capt- I mean Major Orsino was killed in action, I was his Second in Command. Alex and I had known each other for years. We went through basic training together; he and I were friends.

"I-I was right there when it happened. We were taking hostile fire and one of the assets that we were extracting ran into the building for cover and Alex ran in after him. Alex entered the building five seconds before it was targeted by an air strike. There was no way he could have-" the man back-tracked, "I didn't think there was any way he could have survived the explosion or gotten out of the building."

"_Think_?" Sam interjected.

"Yes, um.... The building was reduced to rubble. I mean we found his dog tags in the debris that was thrown from the blast. But we could never positively identify any individual sets of remains in the wreckage. We lost two other men in the explosion; it was a war-zone, there was no reason to believe that he survived the blast." He finished awkwardly. Sam took a deep breath to calm herself.

"And why now, after almost nine years, do you think that he wasn't in the building? Do you have evidence that suggests he's still alive?" She asked, trying not to get her hopes up.

"Because I spoke to him just before I came to see you," Sam's sharp intake of breath accenting the end of his sentence.

"Where is he?" She demanded in a strangled cry.

"He's at Bethesda in DC right now. They're running some tests, and he's being debriefed by his commanding officer."

"Where has he been all this time? Is he hurt? Was he kidnapped? Is he al-" Sam had gotten off the couch and was now pacing her living room floor.

"He wants to explain everything to you himself. He left me explicit instructions: I am to assure you that he's fine, the tests are just a routine precaution, and then I am to escort you to DC to see him." She stopped her pacing and rambling instantly.

"I'll go pack a bag." He nodded his assent and then sat down on her couch while she packed.

"How long am I going to be in DC?" She called from her bedroom.

"He didn't say, but I can't imagine you needing to stay for more than a week."

She nodded to herself and began making a mental checklist of the things she needed to do: Leave word with her mother to let her family know that she was going to be out of reach for the next week or so. Call Spinelli and tell him she was going to be gone on personal business for the next week and have him inform the clients that McCall-Jackal PI would not be able to get to their cases until she returned or to refer them to other agencies. Call Jason-

She paused when she got to thoughts of Jason. He had a romantic dinner set for just the two of them. She was just going to start getting ready when Major Fitzpatrick had knocked on her door. She pulled her phone from her pocket.

"_Morgan_." He answered.

"Hey, it's me."

"_I was just about to leave the office to get ready_." She winced.

"I know we were both really looking forward to this dinner, but I have to cancel on you tonight. Something came up."

" _Is everything okay_?" He was worried about her.

"Uh, everything's fine. Just something personal came up and I have to go out of town for a few days, maybe a week."

"_Do you need my help? I can go with you_." She smiled at his offer.

"No, this is something that I need to deal with myself. I'll explain when I get back."

"_If you're sure_."

"Yeah, it's fine. Nothing life threatening or anything. Just someone that I need to go see."

"_Okay, well call me when you get to wherever you're going_."

"I will. Bye Jason."

"_Bye Sam. Be safe_." Their love was implied.

It was a half hour before she was finished packing her bags and making phone calls to Alexis and Spinelli. She looked around her room to see if she missed anything that she was going to need for her trip when her eyes landed on a photograph on her dresser. Hey eyes welled with tears. It was only in the last few weeks that she had been ready to display pictures of this man again. Alexander Scott Orsino: another one of Cody McCall's bastard children who had been taken away from her too soon.

* * *

Jason sighed as he closed his phone. Sam had to take a last minute trip and wasn't telling him where she was going, what she was doing, or who she was seeing. Not that he had pressed for details, but he assumed she would tell him. She usually shared everything with him especially when she had to go out of town unexpectedly. Sam not offering up the information either meant that she wouldn't or couldn't tell him. Either way, Jason was worried.

Things had finally settled down for them. After the the revelation of Dante's paternity and Sonny's murder trial, the business had been left at risk. Rivaling families had started to challenge their authority and the employees had begun to question their leadership. With Sonny too preoccupied to do anything about it, Jason had stepped up to run the business. When the dissenters had been dealt with and the threats neutralized, Sonny and Jason had both decided that Jason would run things and Sonny would be more of a figure-head for the organization. With Jason in charge, things ran much smoother in Port Charles; the mob tensions and the violence were lessened significantly.

And with the calm atmosphere, Jason was able to spend some actual time with the woman he loved, not as much as he liked, of course, but they were happy at least. They were able to spend most nights together, mostly at his apartment and they often saw each other during the day. Their relationship was stronger than ever, and Sam leaving town suddenly, without telling Jason where or why she was going, worried him. A knocking pulled him from his thoughts.

"It's open," he called out.

"Hey, Jase," Cary called from the doorway, "I just came by to let you know that the roof-top is all set-up for you. It's perfect, if I do say so myself," she had a self-satisfied smile on her face. Jason had asked her last week to set up a special evening for him and Sam. He wanted her to decorate the roof-top of the pent house and set up a romantic evening. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be leaving right about now, not going over those," she indicated the documents that he was filling out.

"Change of plans, Carly. Sam called. She had to leave town suddenly. She'll be gone for a few days."

"She cancelled dinner with _you_ for a _case_?" The concept was entirely foreign to her. Her best friend was amazing and no sane person would ever choose work over dinner with Jason Morgan. "It couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"It wasn't a case," he put the forms he was filling out away, he wouldn't be finishing them tonight anyways, "She said something personal came up; she had to go see someone."

"She didn't tell you who she was going to see?" He shook his head.

"I don't even know where she's going. She just said that she was going to be gone for about a week and she'd call me when she got there."

"Well that's kind of weird. She usually tells you that stuff," Jason nodded his head, "Actually she usually tells you pretty much everything. Especially after everything that happened the last time you two were together."

"Which means that whatever is going on is really important. I just don't know who it is or why they're so important to Sam," he slumped in his chair slightly.

"Well I'm sure that Spinelli could-"

"No," he cut her off, "Whatever is going on, Sam will tell me when she's ready to. She and I have had enough problems in the past with not trusting each other. When she's ready to tell me she will. Whatever it was, she sounded kind of dazed, so I don't think she's really processed it yet."

"Well you're being a lot more patient than I would be." She got up from the chair that she had been occupying.

"Infants can be more patient than you, Carly." He rose from his chair too.

"Because you're worried about Sam, I'll let that one slide. And I'll make sure that the roof-top is cleaned up," she hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, and I want to reschedule after I figure out what's going on."

"No problem," she turned to leave and then stopped and turned back around at the door, "Hey, so you never did tell me, why the special dinner?" Jason had a huge grin on his face, reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a black velvet box.

"I was planning on proposing," Carly gasped.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" She took a second to study his face, "You look happy, and I'm happy for you. Night, Jase," she turned and exited the office.

"I am happy," he said to the empty office. He grabbed his leather jacket from the back of his chair and left the office for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: So I couldn't quite get this chapter the way I wanted it. It just never seemed to flow properly, but it explains most of the my version of Sam's past. Feel free to let me know if something needs to be changed. Also, I've done all of the editing on my own, so if anyone wants to take up the job of a Beta for me, I'd appreciate that. _

She sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs that lined the waiting room of the Bethesda Naval Hospital. After packing her bags calling her mother to tell her that she was going out of town, she had followed Major Fitzpatrick to his car and he had driven them to the airport to catch a flight to Washington, DC.

"Alex arranged the tickets for us," he had broken the tenuous silence that had existed between them since they had left her apartment. She smiled as they boarded the plane and took their seats in the first class cabin. James' previous sentence were the only words either person uttered the entire trip from Port Charles to DC. A car, sent by Alex, was waiting for them when they landed to take them to the hospital. The major returned to his base once Sam had been situated in the waiting room.

The doctor was in with Alex when Sam arrived, giving the patient a thorough exam. Any moment now, she would be able to see him, actually _see him_. For the first time in almost nine years, she would be able to lay her eyes on her oldest brother.

Alexander Scott Orsino was the illegitimate son of Cody McCall, the sorry excuse for a man who adopted and raised Sam. Alex's mother had been the unwitting mark in one of Cody's schemes, but Mrs. Orsino, who came from very old family money, somehow actually made Cody fall in love with her. When the time came to end the con and take her money, Cody couldn't do it. He had run out in the middle of the night, leaving without even knowing that Alex existed. Mrs. Orsino spent months trying to find the man who she had thought was the love of her life, but ended up uncovering his real name and real agenda. So she raised Alex alone. And everything was fine until Alex turned seventeen and decided that he was going to find his real father, con-man or not.

When Alex tracked down Cody McCall, he also found a ten year old Samantha McCall. While Cody made it clear that he didn't want anything to do with his son, Sam and Alex had hit it off immediately. Sam was living in San Diego, California and Alex was in his second year of Stanford. He made the seven-hour drive every weekend and holiday; they were very close, especially when Alex moved closer to Sam to finish his master's degree. But when Sam was fourteen, Alex joined the Marines and the siblings had very limited contact. Sam didn't tell Alex everything that was happening in her life because she didn't want to worry him while he was away.

Around that time, Cody had started to use his sixteen year old daughter in most of his schemes. He taught Sam how to lie, cheat and steal to get what she wanted. She became quite proficient at it, getting into bits of trouble here and there, but her biggest problem always seemed to be her scum-bag of a father. As she got older, her natural attitude began to shine through, and Cody didn't like her mouthing off to him. Sam put up with his drinking and his abuse until the day she had enough money saved to go off on her own.

The first trip she made was to South Carolina to find her mother; Sam ended up discovering her brother Danny, locked in the basement as if he were some animal that needed to be locked away from the public eye. After a confrontation with her mother that ended with Danny accidentally killing the woman, Sam and Danny went on the run. Finding herself jobless and homeless, Sam began a career of petty theft and cons. And then Alex came home on an extended leave.

After a lot of fighting and compromising, Sam agreed to let Alex put Danny in a specialized school in Virginia; but they were barred from seeing Danny for ten weeks because of an "adjustment period". So Alex bought a boat and the two went sailing around the world. While Sam already knew how to swim, sail, and dive, Alex taught her how to navigate by star positions and how to sail through all types of rough water. Before Alex had to return to the marines, Alex introduced her to an old friend of his who ran a marine salvage company and got Sam a job in the office. Sam stayed and worked in the office for a few weeks until she began to go stir crazy and she managed to convince her boss to let her work on the boat. She loved the water and knew everything about boats. She excelled at marine salvage work.

Unfortunately, Alex was often in an undisclosed location doing God knows what, but every time he came back to the states, he made sure to come to Virginia and spend time with his siblings. And then one time, he didn't come back. When the Marine chaplain showed up at Sam's apartment instead of Alex, she didn't take it well. She was twenty-two, sometimes traveled for weeks on end, made very little money, and could barely take care of herself let alone Danny.

When Alex died, everything came down on her at once. She couldn't deal with all of her emotions, the sadness, the loss, the anger; she was lost. But Sam realized that she needed to focus on Danny, to find another place for him to live and to find enough money to support both of them. She returned to her former life of conning, lying, and stealing. She did her best to bury everything: her grief, her sadness, her anger; she tried to move on and support Danny, but there were still times when the loss would hit her like a ton of bricks and she would remember that her brother, her protector, had been ripped from her life.

Sam had always looked up to her brother. Alex was a genius; he finished high school at sixteen, his bachelors at nineteen and his master's degree at twenty one. When he decided that he going to join the Marines, Sam was proud of him, but his mother was not. She refused to have any contact with him. So the three siblings became the only family that any of them really had left.

"Ms. McCall?" A man called from the other side of the waiting room, effectively redirecting her attention to the here and now.

"Yes," she stood and walked over to the doctor.

"I'm Dr. Jennings," she shook his proffered hand, "I'm Major Orsino's attending physician."

"Can I see him now?" Her voice betrayed her anxiety.

"Yes you may," he smiled at her as she practically ran to her brother's room. Sam hesitated at the door, not knowing what exactly to expect on the other side of the door. "He's quite anxious to see you," Dr. Jennings assured her.

When she opened the door, Alex was laying on his hospital bed with his legs crossed at his ankles, reading a book. Her heart sped up. For the most part, he was the same as she had remembered him. The same eyes, green along the edges of the iris and stone gray near the pupil, the same strong jaw, a familiar furrowed brow as he read; although there were several little differences. His sandy blonde hair was the shaggiest she had ever seen it, almost covering his ears, he looked as if he hadn't shaved in months and his skin had a perfect tan. He was wearing glasses instead of contacts, which highlighted the faint scars along his hairline above his left eye.

"Are you finished with your examination of me now?" he asked without looking up from his book, _The Count of Monte Cristo_, his favorite. His manner of speech was odd, slightly accented and more formal than usual. He retrieved a bookmark from his side-table and marked his place in his book.

"Sam," his smile lit up the room.

"Alex," she whispered with tears in her eyes. She flew across the room and flung herself into his awaiting arms. He squeezed her into his chest, fighting back tears of his own.

"I have missed you," he whispered as he kissed the top of her head tenderly.


	3. Chapter 3

"So," Alex said after an hour of silence, "How have you been?" Sam half laughed, half sobbed into his shoulder.

"Getting better by the minute," she smiled, "You?"

"I am feeling better than I have in a great while."

"Okay, what's with the accent?" she wiped the tears from her eyes, "If I remember correctly, you didn't have one before." Sam got off the bed and sat down in the chair next to it.

"Well I did spend the last four years as an Israeli citizen."

"_The last four years?_ You've been gone for almost nine," Sam practically yelled at him.

"I believe it is story time now." Alex grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah," her tone left no room for argument.

"Very well," he sighed, "About four years ago I awoke in a long term care facility in Tel Aviv with no knowledge of who I was."

"What?" She gasped.

"When I awoke, I did not know who I was or how I got there or if I even belonged there. I spoke Hebrew fluently, but, well, I am Caucasian," he smiled slightly, "I also spoke English, Spanish, Russian, Dutch and a bit of German and Korean. No one could place me. I was originally found near a hospital in Jerusalem with a piece of rebar protruding from my chest and a nasty head wound. They treated my life-threatening wounds, but I did not regain consciousness after surgery so they could not identify me.

"They tried to match my description through Interpol, but I wasn't listed as missing. As far as the Corps were concerned: I was dead, so they weren't looking for me. I basically became a John Doe. With all of my life threatening injuries healed, they waited to see if I would wake. After a few months, the doctors transferred me to a long term care facility in Tel Aviv that dealt with coma patients." He paused to pour himself a glass of water from the pitcher next to his bed.

"How do you know all of this?" Sam paused a moment to think through everything that her brother had told her.

"A nurse who had been with my case since my arrival explained everything when I awoke."

"So you just woke up on _your own_ after being in a coma for almost five years?" Sam was incredulous, remembering all of the procedures, setbacks and risks involved when Michael woke from his coma.

"Yes."

"And you're perfectly fine? No medical issues, no lasting brain damage?"

"Well, no more than before I suppose," they shared a small laugh at his joke, "I did go through physical therapy but it was all conducted as out-patient treatments. Since I couldn't remember anything about my old life, I simply started anew. My doctor had a friend who owned a construction company, so I worked for him and tried my best to make a life for myself," he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.

"But you obviously remember now," Sam reminded him. She idly wondered if he realized that the slight accent that he had developed had lessened significantly since the start of his story. His use of contractions also improved immensely.

"Yes I do," Alex smiled ruefully, "Because of you. I was part of a crew that was remodeling a house for an American family in Haifa. We were taking measurements and discussing the project when I heard your voice. The wife was watching an old episode of _Everyday Heroes_; I turned to look at the television and there you were. It hit me like a ton of bricks; everything all at once—you, Danny, the Marines, my mother, **Cody**." He uttered their father's name like it was a shameful curse word.

They both sat for several long moments, lost in their own thoughts. The silence was interrupted by a large yawn from Sam.

"You should sleep. Have you checked into a hotel yet?" Alex asked his sister. Sam stared directly at her brother, who had miraculously come back to her after nearly a decade, and could not seem to make herself respond. "I swear to you that this isn't a dream," he assured her, "I will still be here tomorrow morning." He smiled his most reassuring smile.

"I want so badly to believe that," she whispered, "You have no idea how scared I am that I'm going to wake up and find that this is all some elaborate dream and you're still gone forever." Stubborn tears were leaking from her eyes as they stared at each other.

"Fine," Alex sighed, breaking eye contact first. He hated how fragile she seemed, so alone, and so scared that he would be gone again in the morning. Knowing there was no other way to reassure her he reluctantly pressed the call button on his bedside. Several moments later, a nurse entered his room.

"Yes Major Orsino?" She cocked her head to the side in a slightly playful manner. "Was there something else you needed?"

"Yes actually, Nurse Parker," he smiled coyly, "I seem to be in need of a cot for my sister to sleep in. She refuses to go to a hotel and I would really hate for her to have to sleep in such an uncomfortable chair," he gestured to the chair that Sam was currently occupying.

"Well I'll see what I can do," Nurse Parker winked and then exited the room. Alex was still smiling when Sam cleared her throat, drawing his attention to her. He tilted his head to her and raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"What?" Sam laughed at him and then shook her head.

"Nothing," she said, "It's just you're here and you're you. Just like I remember."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he smiled brightly.

"Good. Definitely good." They stared at each other for a few moments before an orderly opened the door to deliver the cot.

"It's almost eleven, you should get some sleep." Sam scoffed.

"I don't think I'll be able to," she said as she lay down on the cot.

"Well, try, because I need some sleep as well. Goodnight," Alex turned off the light above his bed.

"Night," Sam turned her body so that she was facing her brother and eventually drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

* * *

"Why am I here again?" Jason groaned.

"Because you, like everyone else, are here to support this charity." Carly whispered to her best friend.

"I could have just as easily written a check for this. I didn't have to sit through this," he gestured to the room at large.

"You're also here to support me, your best friend whom you love and would do anything for," she continued as if he hadn't spoken at all, "Because this is the first major function that I've put together without Jax." The statement hung in the air.

During the trial for Claudia's murder, Sam discovered that Jax had called in several favors to try to get Sonny convicted, most of which were less than legal. Ironically, it was those inconsistencies that allowed Diane to tear apart the prosecution's case, proving that Sonny was being railroaded by the state and getting him acquitted of all charges. His actions also provided Carly with all the ammunition she needed during their divorce. When Jax sued Carly for divorce and full custody of Jocelyn, Jason had given Carly all the proof she needed to blackmail Jax. She let him know that if he didn't agree to her demands, the DA would be receiving proof of his illegal activities. So Carly retained primary custody of her daughter and bought Jax out of the hotel.

"Fine," he sighed, "I'll stay, for you." Jason was in hell. It wasn't that he didn't want to support the charity, cancer research was very important, and he would always do whatever he could to support Carly. But asking him to sit through an entire dinner, in a suit and tie, surrounded by people that he either didn't know or didn't like was pure torture. He was sitting through a dinner with the Quartermaines, next to Alexis and the police commissioner, with Nicolas and Elizabeth at the table next to him. And he had no idea where Sam was.

"Just stay through dinner, alight? You can make your donation and then escape after that."

"Fine, but you owe me," he acquiesced.

After the longest forty five minute dinner ever, the wait staff had finally began to clear the dishes from the tables and the guests had begun to mingle. Jason hated mingling, especially with the indigenous people of Port Charles. He had already given his sizable donation to the charity's spokeswoman and was making a discrete exit when he was spotted.

"Jason." He sighed.

"Hello, Elizabeth," she stood awkwardly next to him at almost eight months pregnant.

"Are you leaving already?"

"Yeah, work," he answered simply.

"Oh," Relations between the two had been strained as of late. After finding out that her baby was indeed his brother's, Lucky had hit his breaking point and decided to leave town. Elizabeth and her boys moved into Wyndemere with Nicolas, her new fiancé, "I needed to speak with you. Nicolas and I have been discussing it and we want to-"

"And just what in the hell do _you_ want?" Carly made her presence known. She had seen Elizabeth stalking Jason all night.

"Enough, Carly," Jason gave her a look, "Look we can talk about this another time," he told Elizabeth, "You should be sitting down."

"I really need to talk to you about-"

"You should be sitting down, Liz," the overbearing Cassadine Prince joined the conversation, "And you shouldn't be here at all. Aren't you worried that one of your enemies is going to take a shot at you?" Nicolas sneered.

"Come by the restaurant sometime if you need to speak with me," Elizabeth nodded and he tried once again for the exit. Jason got another three steps when the lights in the room went off.

"Nobody panic," Carly called out, "It's probably just a summertime blackout."

"Actually, now might be an appropriate time to start panicking," a chillingly familiar voice called out from somewhere in the room. The explosion of gun shots shots rang out and the sinister laughter of Jerry Jacks and the sounds of Elizabeth's hysterical cries filled the room as the lights came back on.

* * *

_AN: Okay so I have a pretty good idea of where I want this to go. It might start out a little bit slow, but I have a lot of ground to cover because I am introducing a new character who is going to play a role in this whole story. Let me know what you think. And absolutely let me know if there are any mistakes that need to be corrected. _


	4. Chapter 4

"Morning Major," Alex put his hand up when Dr. Jennings entered the hospital room. He gestured to his sleeping sister.

"She just fell asleep a few hours ago," he whispered, looking at his sister instead of his doctor. After tossing and turning on the tiny, uncomfortable cot and constantly being disturbed by nurses making their rounds, Sam had finally fallen asleep around 3am. Of course Alex, who felt uncomfortable in hospitals anyways, slept even less. "Are my tests back yet?"

"Right here," the doctor indicated the chart in his hands, "Everything came back fine. Actually, in some ways, you're healthier now than you were at your last physical." Alex smiled at his doctor.

"Fantastic. So I can be discharged now?"

"I did actually have a concern," Alex's smile faltered, "You're records from Israel indicated that you had three seizures during your initial recovery but they could never find a cause. So I want to run some-"

"They were febrile seizures, caused by extreme heat. They were all in a fourteen month period and I have not had a seizure since."

"Febrile seizures occur in young children, _very_ rarely in adults."

"But they do occur," Alex paused a moment to keep his voice in check. Their voices had risen slightly and Sam had begun to stir, "Dr. Jennings, I am receiving an honorable discharge from the Marines in two months and I won't be seeing active service in the interim. The seizures were isolated incidents that occurred three years ago." Alex's tone left no room for argument.

"And what happens if you have another?" A moan from Sam disrupted their conversation. She began to stretch out on her cot.

"So I'll be discharged this afternoon, then," Alex assumed control of the conversation, letting the doctor know that their discussion was over. He loved his little sister and he didn't want her worrying about him anymore than she already did. Having doctors poke, prod and scan him to try to diagnose a brain disorder that he wasn't even convinced existed would cause her to worry unnecessarily. Dr. Jennings' face showed his disapproval.

"Yes, we'll be discharging you this afternoon, major."

"Thank-you," the doctor sighed and left the room with a tight smile.

"I need coffee," Sam was now standing, ignorant of the tension that still lingered, stretching her limbs.

"If I remember correctly, the anomalous liquid from the cafeteria barely qualifies," Alex replied dryly, "You should go to your hotel, shower, change, and get yourself an edible breakfast."

"Wow, are you trying to get rid of me already?" She batted her eyes at him.

"Well I wasn't going to mention it, but you are getting a bit ripe," She shook her head and smiled.

"I almost forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"How much of an ass you are." Alex gave his best wounded look.

"You know, I am in the hospital. Aren't you supposed to be nice to people who are in the hospital?"

"Well you're being released today so you can't be too sick, right?" It was said as a joke, but Alex could hear the underlying question, _"Are you okay?"_

"Clean bill of health." He felt slightly guilty for not telling her, but as far as he was concerned, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.

"Good because-" She was cut off by the trill ring of her cell phone, "What's going on mom?" She answered after looking at her caller id. She had left explicit instructions not to call her unless it was an emergency, "_What_?" she visibly paled, "Is he okay?" she turned herself away from Alex and took a deep breath, "What do you need me to do? Alright, I can be home in a few hours," Sam put her cell phone back in her pocket and let out the breath that she had been holding, "My cousin was shot in the chest; he's having emergency surgery."

"This might not be the appropriate time," Alex had an apprehensive expression on his face, "But isn't Evelyn dead? And I wasn't aware that we had any-"

"Oh my God," Sam put her hands in her head and sighed. Her brother had been gone for nine years; he had no idea. She had to explain to him that they weren't actually family and that Sam had failed to keep his only remaining biological family member alive. Images from Danny's death ran through her mind, bringing tears to her eyes, "We have so much to talk about," her voice rushed out in a whisper, "But I guess the short story is that you and I are not actually related. I was adopted by Cody and Evelyn as a baby," Sam stared at the ground as she told him. He took a few moments to process the news.

"Who in the hell let Cody and Evelyn adopt a child?" He finally laughed out.

"You're not upset?" Family was everything to Alex and Sam didn't want his view of her to change.

"What could I possibly be upset at? Well I guess it kind of sucks that I couldn't give you a kidney if you needed one, but other than that," he shrugged. He wore an amused smile on his face.

"Were not family, Alex," his jovial mood sobered immediately.

"NO," his tone brought her eyes to his, "Listen, no amount of biology will ever change the fact that you, Samantha McCall are my little sister and I love you. You and I **are** family."

"Alex," she needed to explain everything to him.

"Sam," he cut her off, "You and I have decades to talk about all of this. If you need me to tell you every day that we are family and that I love you I will, but right now, your mother and your cousin need you. Go to the airport, I'll have a ticket waiting for you."

"You're being released in a little bit; I'll wait and then we can fly together."

"When I'm released, I have to head to Virginia."

"You're not coming to Port Charles?" She had only had a few hours with him and she wasn't ready for him to leave just yet.

"Hey, I'm moving to Port Charles, whether you like it or not, but I have to see an attorney so I can settle my estate and officially come back from the dead. I'd also like to see Danny if he's still at the school in Virginia." Her heart clenched.

"Alex," her words came out strangled. She didn't know what to tell him. No matter what, she was going to break his heart. Her face told him everything he needed to know.

"When?" His voice was a solemn whisper.

" About four years ago. He was in Port Charles visiting me, and he contracted a virus during an epidemic. The doctors tried like hell, but they couldn't get the anti-virus to him in time." She was now crying freely.

"Were you with him?" He was crying as well.

"Yes. I'm so sorry Alex,"

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I didn't protect him. He was your only blood relative and I let him get sick and I let him die-"

"So you manufactured that virus then?" His question stopped her cold, "Or you denied him care?"

"No, we got him into the hospital as soon as he got sick." She looked offended at his question.

"Sam, you did everything that you could and I'm sure that I would have done the exact same thing. When someone is ill, you take them to the hospital but sometimes they don't get better. It wasn't your fault." She moved closer to his bed and he grabbed her in a tight embrace, "I love you and I am so thankful that you were with him when it happened. You could have died as well and I am so unbelievably grateful that I have you still." Sam broke down in his arms. All of the guilt and anger that she had felt about Danny's death poured out of her as she cried in Alex's arms.

"You need to go home to help your family and I need to get to Virginia. I'll meet you in Port Charles when I'm finished." Alex reminded her after a while. She had almost fallen asleep on his bed with him, momentarily forgetting about all of the drama unfolding at home.

"I don't want you to leave me again." Alex could hear the fear in her voice as she silently begged him to stay with her.

"Okay," he didn't want to leave her alone either, "I'll go with you to Port Charles. I'll have my lawyer travel up there and I can make some phone calls and have all of the crap in my storage unit sent there as well." Half an hour later, Alex had signed his discharge papers and the two were making their way to the airport.

* * *

_AN: SO here's the next chapter sorry if it's a bit short. Tell me what you think. _


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: So I messed up a little bit with this part. The first part, Jason's part, was actually supposed to be the first part of the fourth chapter. That's where it fits into the time line. It was after Sam arrived in DC but before the next day. I might eventually go back and fix it but we'll see. Anyways enjoy! And reviews are always welcome!_

_Also, as a side note, in my story, Jason did find Franco and 'took care' of the problem. _

* * *

Jason scrubbed his tired eyes and removed his already loosened tie. In front of him, Alexis was pacing a groove into the floor, impatiently waiting for news on her nephew's surgery. Elizabeth was slumped in her chair with red, puffy eyes and tear tracks on her face. Jason was exhausted; he had been sitting in the same position for the last two hours and he had no idea why. It wasn't as if he and Nikolas got along, especially after Emily's murder, but here he was anyways. In all honesty, Jason's only reason for being there was to make sure that the mother of his son was alright. He didn't want anything bad to happen to Elizabeth, especially if he was somehow responsible. As of yet, no one besides him knew that Jerry Jacks was the gunman and Jason still had no idea why Nikolas was shot.

"Jason," he rose from the hospital chair and went to speak with the man who had beckoned him.

"Mac," he addressed the police commissioner of Port Charles.

"I need to get a witness statement from you."

Jason began tiredly, "I don't have anything-"

"To say without your lawyer present," Mac cut off his standard response, "Yeah, I figured. Give me an unofficial account then,"

"You were there, Mac," Jason didn't want to answer any questions that he didn't have to.

"Yes, but you were standing next to Nikolas when he was shot." Jason sighed in frustration.

"Everyone was in the ballroom of the MetroCourt, the lights went out, I heard two gunshots and then the lights came back on. I called an ambulance as soon as I saw him on the ground."

"Did you see who shot him?"

"No." Jason wasn't lying. He didn't _see_ Jerry Jacks shoot the Cassadine Prince, but he sure as hell heard him.

"And that's all you know?" Mac gave him a dubious expression, Jason gave him a blank stare in return, "Alright, I'm done with you for now. You can come to the station later with your attorney to give a formal statement." Jason exited the surgical waiting room as Mac moved to comfort his girlfriend Alexis. Jason pulled out his phone.

"Tis the Jackal," Spinelli answered his phone groggily. It was after midnight already.

"Spinelli, I need you back at the penthouse. I'm on my way there now," moments later, Jason stepped through the door to his home, removing his coat and throwing on the desk. Spinelli walked out of the kitchen with a fresh bottle of orange soda in his hands.

"The Jackal is here just as-" he paused when he say the blood that stained his mentor's white dress shirt, "Stone Cold, what has transpired? Is the master injured?"

"It's not my blood. Jerry jacks shot Nikolas Cassadine tonight at a charity fundraiser."

"The Demented One has returned?" Spinelli was well aware of what the man was capable of.

"I need you to find him Spinelli, as soon as possible."

"The Jackal will begin his search immediately. Worry not Stone Cold, no rock will be left unturned." The computer hacker slumped down on the couch tiredly. He was about to open his laptop when Jason stopped him.

"It's after midnight; we can get a fresh start tomorrow. Go get some sleep," Jason headed upstairs to shower and get out of his suit. After scrubbing the blood from his body, he changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Jason got into bed, enjoying the comfort that the soft mattress brought to his tired body. He instinctively reached across to the other side of the bed and came up empty. Sam's absence in his bed reminded him that she had yet to call him. It felt like days since he had spoken to her, but in reality it was less than twelve hours. He wondered where she was and what she was doing. He hoped she was safe.

Thinking of Sam's safety brought Jerry Jack's into Jason's mind. He hated the sick bastard with a passion. Jerry was a terrorist for hire; he didn't have to deal with those pesky morals that everyone else seemed to have. Jerry would do anything for the right price, no matter whom or how many he hurt. He was a sociopath who reveled in causing as much damage and chaos as possible. Although shooting a single person in a crowded room hardly seemed like his style, Jason was sure it was him. Jason was determined to find him and stop him, one and for all. After the whole Franco fiasco, Jason had even less patience for people who liked to play games and Jerry loved to play them: taking the MetroCourt hostage, kidnapping Sam, conspiring with Claudia, leaving Jason for dead in Mexico. Since Carly divorced Jax, Jason wasn't under any obligation to keep the Australian's demented brother alive anymore. Once Spinelli found the monster, Jason would personally make sure that no one was ever hurt by his actions again.

* * *

"So tell me about this family of yours," Alex prompted after the plane took off from the runway. Sam laughed mirthlessly.

"Well, it turns out that I'm technically a Cassadine." Alex raised an eyebrow.

"And that means what exactly?"

"It means that my family history is full of deception, lunacy and murder." Sam didn't really consider herself a Cassadine, even if she was one biologically.

"Sounds like a good story."

"I wouldn't even know where to start honestly."

"Well the beginning, of course. I hate coming into a story halfway through." When the flight attendant came through, Alex ordered waters for both of them. When their waters arrived, Sam took a long drink, trying to decide where to begin explaining the Cassadines.

"Well I guess I should start with Mikkos then,"

"Mikkos?"

"You know, if you want to hear the story, you need to stop interrupting," Sam shot Alex an annoyed glance. He put his hands up in defeat.

"My apologies, continue please."

"Okay so Mikkos Cassadine was a Russian nobleman, I don't really know his title, he married Helena and they had two sons: Stavros and Stefan. But, in true Cassadine fashion, Mikkos had an affair with some commoner and had my mother."

"So he's your grandfather?"

"He would have been; he's been dead for a long time. Helena hated my grandmother, but blood is really important to her. So she killed my grandmother in front of my mother when she was five. Alexis, my mother, repressed all of the memories from her childhood because they were so traumatic. She grew up thinking that Mikkos was her uncle and that he and Helena were raising her because her parents died in an accident.

"Anyways, my mother lived with her 'aunt and uncle' in Greece but Helena always resented my mother because she was Mikkos' daughter so she was sent to boarding school under the name Alexis Davidovich. When she was sixteen, she got pregnant with me and her father made her give me up for adoption. He falsified a death certificate and put it in the adoption file in case anyone ever came looking. When she finished school, she changed her last name to Davis and stayed as far away from the Cassadines as possible. When she moved to Port Charles later, she remembered everything that happened. Her and Stefan eventually started to get along. She was around when Nikolas was growing up, so they're really close."

"The guy who was shot?" Alex was trying to keep everything straight in his head.

"Yeah."

"Okay, so Mikkos is dead, is Helena in jail?" Sam laughed.

"No, she's lurking around Port Charles trying to get her claws into Nikolas' new child. Helena's goal in life is to groom the perfect Cassadine heir. They have to be powerful, ruthless and completely under her control. She missed her opportunity with Nikolas so now she's going after his kids."

"Is she a threat to you?" Alex was slightly worried about the homicidal old crone.

"No. She really could care less about me or my little sisters." Alex smiled and tilted his head at Sam in a questioning manner, "Oh, right. I have two younger sisters, Kristina and Molly. Krissy is fifteen and Molly is ten."

"I bet they're handfuls. I know that you were," she pushed his shoulder in mock indignation.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was an angel."

"You were combative and defensive. You liked me, but it took forever for you to trust me. I had to fight like hell for every inch I ever got with you." Sam remembered it well. It was nice having an older brother, but it was difficult for Sam to trust that he wasn't going to hurt her like their father or disappear when he found something more interesting. It wasn't easy when Alex left for the Marines but she understood that he left because he wanted to protect people not because he didn't love her.

"But you were there, every chance that you got." They smiled at each other for a moment.

"So two little sisters, a mother, a cousin and two second cousins. Anyone else I should know about?"

"No other family," she paused to think, "But there is Maxie; she's my best friend. She's impulsive and self-destructive at times, but she's young and she has this amazing heart. And then there's Spinelli." She smiled buoyantly at the thought.

"And Spinelli is... what exactly to you?" Sam could tell that Alex was fishing for information about her love life.

"Technically, he's my business partner. But he's more like my little brother. He actually reminds me a lot of Danny."

"Really?" A sad smile crossed his face.

"Yeah. It's the way he sees the world. Spinelli sees the world in this blindingly bright light. He is the eternal optimist; always willing to see everything in the best way possible. Sometimes, it's so hard not to get caught up in his rose colored vision of the world. But at other times, his naivety is really dangerous. We're constantly having to pull him back down to reality before he gets hurt."

"We?" He found the opening he was looking for.

"Jason and I. My boyfriend." She looked him in the eyes defiantly.

"So what exactly about Jason am I not going to like?" Sam looked at her feet. She forgot how well Alex could read her, "You left him out, so either you think I'm not going to like him or he's not that important to you. Considering the sudden interest in your shoes, I'd say that he's very important to you. So?" Sam sighed.

"You're going to hear a lot of things about him, but know that I love him and it's my choice to be with him," he nodded for her to proceed, "Jason is a legitimate coffee importer, but he runs the mob in Port Charles."

"I won't like him because he's a mobster?" He stared Sam in the eyes and she nodded slightly. "Bull shit."

"Why would I lie about that?"

"I don't doubt that he's a mobster, but we both know that his occupation has no bearing in the matter. So Sam, why am I _really _not going to like Jason?" Sam sighed; she really didn't want to get into this right now.

"Look Jason and I were together before. Some things happened between us and it ended badly. We both did things that we weren't proud of, but he and I have worked through it. I love him and it's my choice to be with him." She repeated her words from before.

"When everything calms down, you and I are going to have a talk about what exactly happened." Sam was holding back something important, he just didn't know what exactly. "I love you. And the thought of someone hurting you, no matter the circumstances, infuriates me," she started to object, "But I promise to meet him and to keep an open mind, alright."

"Thank you." They were silent for a while, reflecting upon the past. Sam was apprehensive about explaining everything to her older brother. So many things had happened while he was gone and he wanted her to rehash all of it. All of her old wounds, everything that she had tried so hard to move on from and he wanted her to re-live it. The thought was enough to make her need a stiff drink. "What about you?" She asked to take her mind off of the past.

"My love life?" he sounded surprised, "I've dated a bit, but it was always short lived. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why I kept self-sabotaging. But then I got my memories back and," he shrugged his shoulder, "Mystery solved. I couldn't make anything work because I had already met the love of my life." The fasten seat-belts sign lit up on the wall indicating that they would be landing soon.

"Really?"

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. It's over." His face held a cheerless smile.

"How over can it be? You obviously aren't together." The thought of her brother settling down with the love of his life was nice. Alex had sacrificed so much for everyone else; Sam wanted him to have something for himself.

"Sometime soon, I'll make dinner, we'll have some wine, you can tell me everything that's happened to you and I will regale you with the tragedy that is my love life. You can decide for yourself if it has an adequate ending." Alex had a faraway look on his face, as if remembering something that happened in another life.

The plane touched down in the Port Charles air-port and Sam hailed a cab for them to take them to General Hospital.

* * *

_AN: So I know a lot of you were anxious to see Alex meet everyone, especially Jason, in this chapter. I swear, it's coming up and I really hope you guys enjoy the way I do it. Thanks for reading. Reviews appreciated._


	6. Chapter 6

After a thirty minute taxi ride, Sam and Alex had finally arrived at the visitor's entrance of General Hospital. After a three hour flight and a slight delay at the airport because of heightened security measures, it was almost 7pm when they arrived in town. Sam tightened the strap of her duffel bag and smirked as they walked through the downstairs lobby and over to the elevators.

"What?" her brother inquired. She shook her head dismissively.

"I don't usually use this entrance."

"Well then how do you get in?" he looked confused.

"Well I usually come through the ER by way of an ambulance," she laughed mirthlessly as she recalled all of the times that she had been admitted to this hospital.

"You being in the hospital is not even remotely funny to me, Sam." She sobered when she saw a slightly guilty on his face.

"Come on, Alex," she cajoled, "You know me, I'm-"

"Impetuous." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Adventurous," she corrected him, "You know, not all of my hospital visits were because I did something dangerous without thinking it through," she defended.

"I would be willing to wager that quite a few of them were." Alex already felt guilty enough for having missed almost a decade of her life; he didn't need his little sister being so cavalier about her numerous maladies and hospitalizations. They entered the elevator and Sam pressed the button for the surgical floor. Alex broke the tense silence that had developed, "So do you know anything yet?"

"No," Sam was grateful for the subject change, "He was in surgery when I spoke to my mother this morning."

"Listen," he paused trying to find the right words, "I," Sam raised her eyebrows at her brother, urging him to continue, "I don't think you should tell your family about me right now," he finally blurted out.

"_What?_ Why wouldn't I tell them?"

"Sam, your cousin was shot in the chest. Your mother is worried out of her mind and your sisters are scared to death. I really don't think _right now_ is the best time to spring this on them." Sam considered his suggestion for a moment. The elevator doors opened and the pair exited towards the nurse's desk. Sam noticed Dr. Scorpio leaning up against the desk, looking at a patient's chart.

"Robin," Sam pulled her focus from the chart, "Do you know anything about Nikolas?"

"He made it through surgery, but I haven't heard anything else." The doctor smiled apologetically, "He's in room 307."

"Thanks, Robin." Sam returned to where Alex stood. She took a few seconds to collect her thoughts and decide her next move when he interrupted her.

"Sam, go to his room. Find your mother, check on your cousin and reassure your sisters that everything is going to be fine. I have errands to run and phone calls to make. I can drop your bag off at your apartment, run my errands and then come right back here to meet everyone." Sam still looked apprehensive. "I'll bring coffee," he mustered all of his charm, "Lots of coffee. And it gives you some time to sort of ease into the news."

"Alex, you don't know where anything is." _And I can't keep an eye on you_, she added in her head. She hesitated to let him out of her sight. Until someone else met Alex, there was a small part in the back of her mind that told her he couldn't possibly be real, that her brother was dead and she had hallucinated his miraculous return.

"You do realize that I'm thirty-seven and I have successfully navigated countless foreign countries, relatively unscathed."

"You were _blown up _in Israel!"

"Fluke incident," he dismissed her concern, "What are the chances of something catastrophic happening in the two hours I'll be gone."

"In this town, it's almost guaranteed." Sam had been living in this town for almost eight years. She had seen numerous shootings, explosions and kidnappings; she had been stalked, shot, arrested and manhandled too many times in this town to think of it as safe for anyone.

"You're forgetting what I used to do for a living, kiddo." Sam grimaced; he always called her 'kiddo' when he asserted his age over her. He rarely treated her like a kid when she was growing up, but there were times when he refused to let her do something or go somewhere because of her age. Alex would take her out to the beach, sit her down, call her 'kiddo' and explain that she was too young and it wasn't safe for her. She hated it as a child, but when he was gone there was nothing she wouldn't have given to hear another one of his lectures.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Alex."

"And I am not some naïve child who needs your protection," his tone was assertive. He softened his voice when he continued, "I'm not Danny, Sam. I don't need you to protect me from the world. I'm your older brother; it's _my_ job to protect _you._ It always has been. I can't apologize enough for not being here before but that's done now. I'm here and I have no intention of going anywhere anytime soon."

"Fine," she acquiesced, handing him the keys to her apartment. "387 Willow St., apartment 346." He grasped her hand and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"I'll be back." He turned to walk away and paused, "Hey, more creamer than coffee, right?" he called over his shoulder. She shook her head and smiled.

"Yes, I still take my coffee the same way," and she turned down the hall that lead to Nikolas' room.

…………………………………………….

"What have you found, Spinelli?" Jason asked as he came down the stairs of the penthouse.

"Unfortunately, the Jackal's searches have been fruitless as of yet." The young hacker looked discouraged. "I have been unable to uncover a single link to the Princely One's shooting. There is no money trail and I can discern no reason as to why they Demented One might be involved. The Jackal hates to question his mentor, but is Stone Cold sure that he positively identified the assailant?"

"Yes, Spinelli. I am _positive_ that Jerry Jacks shot Nikolas."

"Then the Jackal will simply redouble his efforts until he finds the information that he seeks." He returned to his laptop to try search another avenue. Jason ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm going to see if I can get any answers from Jax. It's a long shot, but maybe I can figure out if he's been in contact with his brother lately."

"The Jackal suggests that Stone Cold begin his search at Jake's. Since his fall from grace, the Formerly White Knight has taken to drowning his sorrows in a bottle."

"I'll be back later."

Jason racked his brain on his way to Jake's. No matter how hard he tried, he could not find Jerry's angle. Jason wasn't even sure if Nikolas was the intended target; the maniac could have been aiming at Jason or even Carly.

There was no reason for Jerry Jacks to be anywhere near Port Charles right now, and certainly no reason to come after Nikolas. He could have been trying to take some sort of twisted revenge on his brother's behalf or he could have been aiming for Jason and accidentally hit the Prince, but Jerry was an excellent marksman. It made no sense at all. A single act of violence with no clear motive was uncharacteristic of the madman. Jerry was always after something: money, power, information. One thing was clear though, when Jason found Jerry, he would get answers.

Jason walked into Jake's bar and immediately spotted the Australian sitting by himself at the end of the bar. He stuck out like a sore thumb, sitting in one of the dingy stools with a bottle of bourbon in front of him, wearing an expensive, wrinkled suit and looking like he hadn't showered in days. Jason approached him.

"Jax,"

"What do you want, Morgan?" the Aussie spat his name like it was dirt. Jasper Jacks was very drunk. His breath reeked of stale liquor and his accent, combined with the slight slur to his speech, made him very difficult to understand.

"I need to know if you've been in contact with your brother." Jason stood stoically beside him.

"And why in the hell would I ever tell _you_?" It was no secret that Jason Morgan hated Jerry Jacks and if given the opportunity, the mob boss would kill the man in an instant. Jerry may have been a sociopathic terrorist, but he was still Jax's brother. For Jax, family meant everything these days, especially with the loss of his wife and having to share custody of his only child.

"Your brother is in town. He shot Nikolas Cassadine." Jason said bluntly. He studied the man's carefully as he processed the news. Jax's face first showed surprise at the news, followed by brief sadness, and then anger, lots and lots of anger.

"I can't believe you! First you chase my brother out of town and now you accuse him of attempted murder."

"You brother fired into a dark room full of innocent people, one of which was the mother of your child. He could have hit anyone."

"Someone shoots up the MetroCourt and you automatically assume it was my brother?" Jax scoffed. "That's pretty hypocritical, even for you." Usually, Jason was the prime suspect in any shooting in Port Charles. "I don't know where Jerry is and even if I did, I wouldn't lead my own brother to his slaughter. I'm not like you; I wouldn't take any pleasure in killing my only brother." Jax added, throwing AJ in Jason's face. Jason tensed, but made no other outward movements.

"I'm warning you now, Jax. I will find him and I will take care of the problem." Jason turned on his heel to walk out of the bar.

He got two steps closer to the door when he sensed someone behind him. Before Jason could react, Jax threw a punch at the side of his head. Jason was momentarily disoriented, giving Jax the ability to push him over near the pool table. Jason regained his equilibrium in time to block his aggressor's next punch and gain the upper hand. Jason was furious; he moved to strike Jax in the face when he felt someone grab his arm from the side. The man knocked Jason's fist down and put his hands on his shoulders to hold him back. Jason struggled to get free.

"He's a drunken fool. It's not worth the effort." The end of the man's statement was accented with the sound of cracking wood. While he was trying to stop Jason, neither of the men noticed Jax grab a stick from the pool table. He swung it like a baseball bat, hitting the stranger in the back of the head. Incredulous, the man turned around to face his attacker. Jax lunged for the man, who easily sidestepped him. When Jax turned back around to attack, the stranger cold-cocked him. Jax fell to the floor in a heap.

The man felt the back of his head for where the pool cue had struck him. When he withdrew his hand it was wet with blood. "Shit," he groaned. He turned to speak with Jason. He was cut off by the shouts of police officers who entered the bar.

"Hands up!" Detective Falconeri yelled as he stormed the establishment. The few remaining patrons and Coleman, the owner, raised their hands. "Somehow I figured you'd be involved in this, Jason." It was Dante's job to try and bring Jason down on any charges he could make stick, even if he wasn't guilty. "Cuff these two and take them down to the station." The two officers he had with them advanced upon Jason and the other participant. Coleman's voice stopped them short.

"They both got hit in the head pretty damn hard, detective. It might be a good idea to take them to GH for a quick exam first." His tone was patronizing, "You can get in a lot of trouble for denying suspects medical treatment."

"Fine, take all three of them to GH." Jax had begun to come around by then.

* * *

Sam was nervous. Not about her cousin's recovery (he would recover without complications) or her sister's states of mind, but about her brother. Sam had already pulled her mother aside and explained some of the situation. She had glossed over some things, like where he was and what he was doing, but she told her mother that she had left for DC to see Alex, her older brother. Alexis was shocked, to say the least. In all the time that she had known her oldest daughter, Sam had never mentioned her oldest brother. Once Sam explained that her reluctance to talk about Alex was because of emotional pain, her mother had understood. Alexis was a Cassadine; she knew what it was like to shy away from unsavory topics. She was actually excited to meet someone who knew Sam as a child; he might be capable of shedding some light on what her life was life and how she grew up. Right now, Sam was worried because he wasn't answering his phone and he had yet to return. He was never late. Punctuality was one of his pet peeves.

Sam left her cousin's room once again and went downstairs to get a better signal. She took the elevator to the ground floor, intent on taking the exit near the ER when something caught her eye. Well _someone_, anyways. She saw Jason sitting in the plastic chairs or the ER in handcuffs.

"Jason?! What the hell happened?" she demanded.

"When did you get back?"

"Alexis called me when Nik went into surgery. What happened?" she nodded at the handcuffs.

"You can't talk to him right now, Sam. He's being held for questioning in regard to possible assault charges." Dante had emerged from the curtained area. But she hardly heard him; she was more focused on the man that he was escorting back to the waiting area.

"Alex?" she gasped.

"I would hardly classify a bar fight as 'catastrophic'," he gave her a wry smile.

_AN: Sorry to end it there guys. I don't know what you guys were expecting, but I thought that this would be a pretty cool way to introduce Sam's brother. In handcuffs, in a hospital. Next chapter, everyone gets to meet... Reviews are appreciated. _


	7. Chapter 7

"Is someone going to tell me what the hell happened_?_" Sam looked between her brother, the cop and her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry Sam, but you can't speak to either of them. They're in my custody until-"

"Are you hurt?" She asked Alex, completely ignoring Dante.

"Just a little cut." He looked away from his sister. Sam noticed the bandage on the back of his head when he turned. She sighed, put her head in her hands and took a quick second to organize her thoughts.

"Did you see a neurologist?"

"Sam, he got smacked in the head with a pool cue. It's nothing serious." Dante tried to dismiss her and make his way towards the exit. Sam placed herself in his path, stopping him from going any further.

"I'm sorry I missed the part where you became a neurologist, detective." She glared at Dante, "He has a history of head trauma and he needs a thorough exam. I'm going to have Robin come down to check him out." Dante was about to argue further when Alexis stopped him.

"And if you have a problem with that, Detective Falconeri, I suggest you get Mac; he's upstairs right now. I'm sure he'd _love_ to hear that one of his detectives denied medical care to a suspect in custody."

"Fine," he relented, "Call Robin down here." Sam gestured for her mother to watch over Alex.

"Since I'm here, maybe you can explain to my why you're holding my clients in the first place," her mother's voice faded as she got into the elevator.

It was a little extreme, Sam knew it. Having a neurologist examine a scratch on his head was probably unnecessary but on the off chance that any damage had occured, she had to be sure. She wasn't about to let him gamble with his life. She exited the surgical floor and found Robin standing near the nurse's station once again.

"Robin," she called out.

"Sam, hey," she smiled, "I heard about Nikolas. That's great news." The bullets had each missed his heart by centimeters and had been removed without major complications. After a few weeks of rest and relaxation, he would be completely healed.

"Yeah, it is but that's not why I'm here."

"What do you need?" She switched into professional mode immediately.

"I need you to come down to the ER right now for a neurological consult." Robin immediately grabbed her pager from the desk and walked to the elevators.

"Who's the patient?"

"It's a really long story, but he's my older brother. He was in an explosion nine years ago, ended up in a coma for five years and then woke up with complete amnesia; his memories came back eventually. Tonight, he got into a bar fight and got hit pretty hard in the head. Usually, I wouldn't be so worried about it but-"

"He has a history of severe head trauma," Robin nodded, "I'll examine him and take him for a CT just to be absolutely sure that everything's fine."

"Thank you, Robin." Sam appreciated the woman's professionalism. Most people would be too hung up on the fact that Sam had a long lost brother to do anything else; but Robin remained focused on his health.

"Hi, I'm doctor Scorpio," Robin greeted when she opened the curtain that separated the exam areas. Her patient sat off to the side of the bed with his feet hanging over the side.

"Alex Orsino," he offered his hand.

"Alright, Mr. Orsino, I'm going to take a look at that wound on your head if you don't mind." She smiled at him as she pulled on a pair of exam gloves.

"Well I don't really have much choice in the matter," he shot a look at Sam, "So go for it. And technically speaking, it's Major Orsino, but I prefer Alex." She smiled and then started her examination of his head.

"I'm going to go check in with my mom," Sam excused herself from the exam.

* * *

"You're free to go," Dante released his handcuffs from his suspects.

"After making such a grand affair of the situation, you're just letting us go?" Alex and Jason had been sitting in the waiting area, watching Alexis deal with Dante and Mac.

"Your lawyer got the charges dropped." They all glanced over to the corner of the room where Alexis and Mac were still locked in an argument. "It won't be long before you're arrested again, Morgan," the detective warned him. Jason blankly held his stare and the younger man walked away.

"Alex, right?" Alexis had joined her clients.

"Yes ma'am, and you must be Miss Davis," they shook hands, "I've heard a bit about you." She smiled at him.

"Nurse Johnson has an exam area ready for you and Sam should be back with Robin in a few minutes." Alex sighed.

"It's really not necessary. I've been hit much harder than this," he pointed to the cut on his head.

"Sam's just worried about you. Actually, you're lucky she's not trying to have you admitted." Alex groaned at the thought. "Curtain 3." She pointed to her left. He nodded his thanks and left.

"Who is that?" Jason was less tense now that the man had left.

"Sam hasn't told you?"_He's who Sam went to see_, he thought. Jason still had no idea who the man was or why he was so important to her. His first instincts had been clouded by his own rage at Jax but now he could clearly feel it. The man was unassuming, polite and dangerous. Jason had no idea why or just how dangerous, but something about the stranger had set off red flags in his head.

"She hasn't had the time to explain anything yet." Sam had blown in and out of the ER in the blink of an eye. Just as he finished speaking, Sam and Robin crossed the lobby and went directly into curtain 3.

"I don't know the whole story, but from what I understand that's Sam's oldest brother, Alex. He's a marine and was supposedly killed in action in 2001." _That might explain things,_ thought Jason. A seasoned officer would be well trained, strong and capable. Alex had been able to hold Jason back during the fight and easily incapacitated Jax.

A short while later, Sam found Jason sitting alone in the same chair he had been in most of the night. Alexis had already gone home to see her other daughters.

"Hey," she plopped down next to him, obviously exhausted.

"Hey," he put his arm around her, she leaned into his shoulder.

"Is Alexis still here?" Sam had recently begun to call Alexis 'mom' but still referred to her by her first name in conversations and in her thoughts.

"She went to make sure the girls got to bed okay," Alexis was far from his favorite person but she was a damn good attorney and his girlfriend's mother. As long as she stayed out of Sam and his personal lives they had an amiable working relationship. "She wants you to call her tomorrow." Sam nodded absently.

"So what did she tell you?" Sam sat up, freeing herself from his embrace.

"I'd rather hear it from you," he turned his body to face her.

"Major Alexander Orsino, US Marine Corps," she began after taking a calming breath, "Bastard son of Cody McCall; my oldest brother. I met him just after my tenth birthday. I lived just outside of San Diego in this decrepit apartment complex in the worst part of town. I used to ride my bike to the beach every day, even during the winter. I would stay on the shore for hours, just watching the tide roll in and out; I loved it.

"One day, I had to leave early because of a storm or something. I rode my bike back home and I was walking up the steps when I heard shouting. Cody was yelling about someone's mother and then there was a crash, like a lamp shattering. A second later, the front door flew open; Cody literally threw someone out of the apartment. There was Alex, this gangly seventeen year old, up against the railing with a bloody lip and a bruised cheek; Cody got in his face and told him, 'I don't care what your lying whore of a mother told you, you are not my kid,' and then he slammed the door shut. Alex stormed down the steps and then peeled out of the parking lot.

"I knew better than to ask Cody, but I suppose my curiosity got the better of me," she had a faraway look on her face. She shook her head slightly to clear the memory from her mind, "Anyways, later when I was cleaning up the mess in the front room I found this old, tarnished ring. It wasn't anything fancy, a small emerald on a gold band, but I knew that it wasn't ours. I don't really know why I kept it and hid it from Cody but I'm glad I did.

"A few weeks later when Cody was gone, the guy came back for the ring, yelling through the door for it. He stopped short when I opened the door and handed it back to him. We just stared at each other for a few minutes; I was about to close the door when he asked me if I had eaten dinner yet and the rest is history. He and I saw each other as much as possible but he was gone a lot because of work. He was the first person in my life that I could always count on to be there for me, to always be honest with me, and then he was gone." Her eyes were wet as she remembered the men who had raised her: Cody and Alex, polar opposites in every way and equally impactful on her life. For better or for worse, their influences made her who she was. Jason gathered her in his arms as she cried.

"He's here now and he isn't going to leave anytime soon." She nodded into his chest. The sound of her laughter was muffled by his shirt. "What's so funny?" She pulled back from him.

"Just typical of this town, I guess. He survived a war, an air strike, overcame a coma and then amnesia. He's not even in Port Charles for four hours and he ends up in the hospital because of a bar fight."

"I'm sorry, Sam. If I had any idea who he was-"

"You would have what, exactly? Stopped him from helping?" She laughed at the thought. Ironically, people were often hurt while trying to save others. "Jason, you couldn't have stopped him, even if you tried. He's too well trained and his first instinct will always be to protect people, no matter what." Robin cleared her throat to get the couple's attention. "So?" Sam was eager for good news.

"Well, the wound doesn't need stitches, so that's good. But given his medical history, I'm still going to give him a CT just to be sure. I'll go schedule his test."

"Thank you, Robin. You have no idea what this means to me," the doctor noticed the tears in Sam's eyes.

"I would do the same thing if it were Maxie," she gave Sam's arm a reassuring squeeze. Sam and Jason made their way over to the exam area.

"Good timing, I can never seem to tie these on my own," her brother stood next to his bed in his boxers and an open hospital gown, his back facing Sam and Jason. She moved to help him.

"I forgot how much work you had done on your back," she studied the elaborate tattoo on the right of his back. It was a black, shadowy figure with great wings and a long scythe that descended down his tricep all the way to his elbow. Along the edge of the blade were several initials and dates.

"Yeah, I had it finished before I deployed the last time." He turned around to look at Jason.

"I suppose a formal introduction would be good. Alex, this is Jason. Jason, this is Alex." They shook hands briefly. Robin walked in a second later to take Alex for his scan, leaving his sister and her boyfriend waiting in the exam area.

"It's getting late," Jason commented after Sam yawned. She checked her watch, it was after midnight.

"You should go home, Jase, get some sleep. We're just waiting for the CT results and then we're going back to my apartment."

"I can wait with you,"

"No, it's fine; please, go home and get some rest. We can have lunch tomorrow after I check in with Spinelli." He nodded reluctantly and kissed her good-bye.

"I love you,"

"I love you too, and I missed you." He smiled and left the room.

* * *

"I'm reasonably sure that your mother is a Jedi," Alex informed his sister. Sam raised an eyebrow at him in response. "I'm serious. She told the police commissioner that he wasn't going to file charges and then he let us go."

"Aside from the fact that he had no grounds to charge either of you because you were defending yourselves, Mac and my mother have been together for a few months."

"Convenient," Alex smirked. Sam shook her head.

"Not as much as you'd think," Alex gestured for her to explain, "It makes it easier for her to keep track of my comings and goings at the PCPD."

"Just how often _do_ you frequent the police station?"

"It's been a pretty slow year, actually. I've only been arrested three, maybe four times." Alex scoffed and shook his head. "I was never _charged_ for anything." Sam defended.

"Yes because the fact that you haven't been _charged_ for a crime makes me feel _so_ much better." Sam started to respond when he put up his hands in surrender, "I apologize, that was out of line. I've never been terribly fond of you being in trouble in the first place, and hearing about it now, I suppose I'm just feeling a bit…"

"Ineffective," Sam supplied when he trailed off. Alex nodded his assent. Sam understood his frustrations. While Alex had only just regained his previous life, everyone and everything else had moved on without him. He was still trying to find his place.

"They must be making a lithograph of my scans with how long this is taking. It's a good thing I'm not dying." They had been waiting just over three hours.

"The last time you hit your head, you ended up in a _coma_ for five years. So forgive me if I seem overbearing, but I don't really feel like taking any chances right now. I just got you back." Sam had tears in her eyes as she looked him in the eyes. Alex looked away after a moment.

"I'm sorry," he studied his shoes, "You're not being overbearing, Sam. You're worried. I understand," he said after a moment, "But I _really _dislike hospitals and I don't want to be here for a moment longer than I have to be. If you need this scan to reassure you that I'm fine, then we'll continue to wait. And once the results prove that there's no damage, we are going to your apartment and you are getting some sleep."

Sam nodded; sleep was very enticing to her tired mind. She hadn't slept well the night before and had gone the entire day without rest. After helping her cousin, mother and sisters deal with the day, she had found her brother and her boyfriend handcuffed in the ER, waiting to be seen by doctors.

"So where did your boyfriend go?" He asked after a while.

"Huh?" Sam hadn't heard the question.

"Your boyfriend. Since he isn't currently stalking you from the hall, I assume that you sent him home."

"Yeah, I convinced him to go home a little while ago."

"That can't have been easy. He really didn't seem like he wanted to leave you alone with me." Jason had seemed wary of Alex the entire evening. Even after Sam had explained the situation, Jason hadn't let her out of his sight.

"It's not you; Jason's just a bit apprehensive of strangers. Plus he's a little anxious right now. He's got business stuff going on and he's worried about everyone." Alexis had briefly explained the circumstances of Nikolas' shooting. Almost everyone in town believed that Jason was the intended target.

"Hey sorry, guys. The computers went down and they took forever to reboot." Robin set down her coffee and took out the scans. "They look clear to me. Just take some ibuprofen for the pain." She yawned as she filled out the last bit of paperwork.

"Shouldn't you be off by now, Robin?" The doctor looked as if she were about to fall over.

"I was off an hour ago but I wanted to make sure I got the results to you." Robin was already changed out of scrubs and ready to go.

"Thank you, Dr. Scorpio; it was a pleasure meeting you. Now, we are going to go and you should do the same." They nodded at her as they left the ER. They stopped once they were outside of the hospital.

"Shit," Sam felt around her pockets for a second time.

"What?" Alex looked alarmed.

"I just realized that we took a cab here, I'll call for another one." she pulled out her cell phone.

"No need, Ms. McCall," a young man called from the loading area. "Jason wanted me to make sure that you two made it back to your apartment safely." He gestured to the awaiting town car.

"Thank you, Milo." They headed over to the car and Milo drove them to her apartment.

* * *

_AN: I'm going on vacation for spring break and I won't be able to post for about two weeks, but hopefully, I'll get some writing done while I'm gone. I'm sorry this took so long to get out, but I hope all of you Jasamers are content with it. Reviews are really appreciated and please keep up the helpful suggestions. You guys are great. Also, I'm going to try to get at least a small chapter out by Saturday, but don't get your hopes up. Bye all. _


	8. Chapter 8

_I cannot apologize enough for my egregious absence. I just got home from spring break but I managed to write this while I was in Cabo San Lucas. I'm sorry if it's a bit short. I promise to have another chapter out ASAP, and I'm hoping to have a lot more Jasam interaction. _

* * *

"Top of the morning, Stone Clod," Spinelli called as he raced down the stairs. Jason was already sitting in the armchair, drinking a cup of coffee. He acknowledged his roommate with a nod. "Did last night's quest yield the desired result?" Jason gave him a blank stare; it was too early in the morning and he had gotten too little sleep to be able to decipher Spinelli's sentence. "Is the Formerly White Knight in cahoots with his diabolical brother?" He tried again.

"No." Jax had been genuinely surprised when Jason had confronted him about Jerry and his involvement in Nikolas' shooting. "Have you found Jerry yet?" Spinelli lowered his gaze slightly.

"The Jackal has failed his master. I cannot find any evidence that links The Demented One with the Princely One's shooting nor can I discern where he might be seeking refuge in Port Charles." Jason could tell Spinelli was upset about not being able to find Jerry or connect him to the shooting.

"Spinelli, Jerry has had years of practice at staying below the radar and not getting caught. Maybe Sam can help us track down some leads. Don't worry, we'll find him."

"Fair Samantha has returned from her trip?" Last night seemed like so long ago to Jason: Jake's, General Hospital, Sam's brother.

"Alexis called her when Nikolas went into surgery. I saw her at the hospital last night."

"She did not return with Stone Cold?" Jason rubbed his temples, a sure sign of an impending headache. "The Jackal cannot help but notice a certain degree of exhaustion in his mentor. What exactly transpired last night?"

"Jax was drunk and after I question him, he tried to start a fight with me. Some guy got in the middle of us and Jax hit him with a pool cue. Dante showed up, arrested us and took us all to GH. Sam saw us in the waiting room of the ER and got pretty upset. It turns out that the guy who stopped the fight was her brother; she left town to see him."

"The Goddess has a brother?" Spinelli sat down on the arm of the couch.

Jason sighed, Sam was a private person and very difficult to get to know. Regardless of how long someone knew her, she kept so many personal details of her life to herself. Getting her to open up about her past was somewhat akin to pulling teeth: painful and tedious. If she were pushed too hard or too fast, her defenses would slam back into place.

"She had two. I knew her older brother Danny, but I guess she had another."

"I find it strange that in all the time I have known Fair Samantha, she has not once mentioned either one of her brothers." Spinelli looked slightly hurt.

"Sam is more breakable than you think," Jason tried to explain, "It's difficult for her to talk about some things, especially about the people she's lost. Danny died at GH during an encephalitis outbreak a few years ago and Alex was declared KIA before Sam ever came to town. As far as I know, she never mentioned him to anyone."

"I could not imagine the pain of losing not one but two siblings. The Jackal can understand Fair Samantha's unwillingness to speak about them."

"Sam cares about you, Spinelli; a lot. She'll tell you in her own time." The last thing Sam needed right now was a bunch of people interrogating her about her past.

"The Jackal will heed his master's advice," Spinelli nodded and headed back up to his room to do God-knows-what.

* * *

"Good morning, what can I get you?" Mike asked from behind the counter at Kelly's diner.

"Can I get two large coffees, an egg white omelet and," he paused to think of what Sam might like, "A Belgian Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream on top. To go please,"

"Coming right up," he took the order back to the cook. Alex sat down at the counter skimming through the front page of the New York Times.

"New in town?" Mike asked as he wiped down the counter.

"Just landed last night," Alex put the paper down and pushed his glasses back up to the rim of his nose.

"Mike Corbin," he extended his hand, "I run the diner."

"Alex Orsino, it's a pleasure."

"Are you in town for long?" Mike had always tried to get to know everyone who came through town.

"That's the plan, and it's Alex." Mike smiled at the younger man and then went back to check on his order.

"Here you go," Alex pulled some bills out of his pocket but Mike waved him off, "The first meal at Kelly's is on the house."

"Well consider it a tip then," he placed the money on the counter, "Have a good day, Mike." Alex took the containers and the coffees off the counter and left.

"You too, Alex."

* * *

"Hello? Where are you?" Sam called from her kitchen. He wasn't in the shower or the kitchen. She searched the apartment for some clue as to where he went; she found a short note on the desk in the living room.

_Had to run a few errands. I'll bring back breakfast._

_Alex_

Sam checked the clock on the wall, 11:08 am, and stretched her arms. Milo had dropped them off just before 4am and they had gone to sleep immediately. She had tried to make him take her bed, but he had stubbornly refused and insisted on sleeping on the futon in her second bedroom, which currently served as an office. She pulled her phone out to call him when the door swung open.

"So much for getting back before you got up. I brought breakfast, and coffee." He held up the drink carrier.

"Did you get any sleep?" He had obviously been up for a while. He once again looked like the pictures she had of him for her childhood: clean shaven face and short, slightly spiked hair. He was wearing plain blue jeans and a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"A few hours." He set the containers on the kitchen table. "Do you have plates?"

"Of course I have plates," she brushed past him into the kitchen.

"Don't get all huffy with me, it was a valid question. I got up this morning to make breakfast, and the only things in your refrigerator were ketchup packets, old take-out and beer. It wouldn't really be a leap to think that you didn't have dinnerware." She pulled two plates down from the cupboard.

"I honestly can't remember the last time I was home for dinner. I usually work late."

"Or stay with your boyfriend." He transferred the food to the plates and set them down on the table.

"Or stay with Jason," she emphasized his name, he nodded at her, "Besides, even if I were home for dinner every night, I still burn water."

"Something I intend to change." He had always meant to teach her to cook but never seemed to find the time before. His incident had certainly taught him not to take his time for granted; there wouldn't always be a 'later'. "I'm sorry I never showed you before." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Mmmmm. So you obviously found Kelly's," she took another large bite of her waffle, "And a barber," he rubbed his now bare cheek, "What else did you do this morning?"

"I had to brave the mall," he shuddered slightly, "The only clothes I brought from Israel are covered in either paint or cement from work."

"So what did you wear when you weren't working?"

"I was either working, taking a swim, or reading in my apartment. I really didn't-" His response was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Eat," Alex pointed to her half-eaten waffle, he had already finished his breakfast. He walked from the dining room to the front door.

"Ms. Davis," he greeted Sam's mother.

"Alex," she smiled at him, "How's your head?"

"Its fine, not even a headache."

"Good. Is Sam here?" She had a slightly weary look.

"Eating breakfast at the table," he stepped aside to let her in.

"Hey mom," Sam had just put the dishes in the sink, "What's up?" She could tell her mother had something on her mind.

"I came to check up on you guys," Sam raised her eyebrows at her mother, "Alright, I have some news." Alex quietly excused himself into the kitchen.

"Is everything okay?" Sam's thoughts immediately went to her younger sisters. With everything that had happened lately, Sam worried about them constantly.

"The girls and I are fine," she put her hands up, "Nikolas is being released soon and he asked me to help the nurse get set up and make sure everything was okay at Wyndemere. The workers were cleaning and one of them came across a body in the tunnels. It was Helena; someone stabbed her in the heart."

Sam could tell that her mother had mixed emotions about Helena's death. On one hand, she was an officer of the court who was supposed to respect laws; on the other hand, someone had just gotten rid of the woman who had murdered her mother. Sam had no such qualms about the old woman's demise. She was a manipulative, murderous witch who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted. The woman had committed numerous crimes and destroyed many lives while on her constant mission to return the Cassadine family to its former glory.

"I guess the old bat was mortal after all," Sam commented glibly, "Are you sure she's actually dead?" It was a necessary question; the crone had been 'killed' many times before, only to come back to life at the worst possible time.

"I identified the body myself," Alexis laughed slightly, "But I'm still sending DNA samples to a few independent, out of state labs for analysis. You never can be too careful with the death of a Cassadine."

"Do they have any suspects?"

"Half of the town, I'm sure. But they just found the body this morning so they probably haven't even processed the physical evidence yet." Sam shook her head.

"Wow, that's," she paused to think, "Unbelievable. Someone finally actually killed her. How are you holding up?"

"Carefully optimistic I suppose. I've been through this a few times," she shook her head, "Maybe when the DNA results come in it'll sink in."

"Well hopefully she's actually gone this time." Sam would love for Helena's reign of terror over her loved ones to be over.

"Alright, well I have to get to court. I've got jury selection today." She hugged her oldest daughter.

"I'll call you later mom." After Alexis left, Alex came out of the kitchen.

"So what all do you have to do today?"

"Are we just going to pretend that you weren't eavesdropping?" He smiled innocently at her. She laughed and sat on the couch. He walked over and sat down next to her. "I have to check in with Spinelli and see what's going on at work," Alex smiled, private investigation suited her skill set and her lose interpretation of the law, "And I'm want to have lunch with Jason if I can. He and I have a lot of things to discuss."

"And you're going to be home at 7:30, I'll cook. You and I are long overdue for a conversation." Sam was dreading that particular conversation. He wanted to know everything that had happened since he had been gone, and a good part of it wasn't pretty. She would have to relive some of her darkest moments for him, but he deserved to know.

"Alright, I'll see you tonight at 7:30," they both got up from the couch. Sam grabbed her keys and her cell phone and walked to the door, "Hey what are you going to do today?"

"Well I have a meeting with my lawyer in a bit and then I apparently need to do some serious grocery shopping, but other than that I might just explore the town some."

"Just be careful, okay? No more hospitalizations for at least two months." He held up his right hand.

"I will do my best." She grimaced slightly; his best didn't always pan out. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will." She left her apartment and headed to McCall Jackal Investigations.


	9. Chapter 9

"Look, Bernie, I don't care how you do it, just take care of it," Jason told his 'accountant' for the fifth time. A knock at the door diverted his attention, "Look, I gotta go. Just handle it." He opened the door to find his girlfriend on the other side. "You have a key you know," he stepped aside to let her in.

"I didn't know if you were busy or not," she shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm never too busy or you," she smiled and stepped into his embrace, "How are you doing?" he asked after they sat down on the couch.

"Completely overwhelmed," she replied honestly, "I'm just trying to process things one step at a time: Nikolas' shooting, Alex's re-appearance, and now Helena's death."

"She's dead?" Jason tried to stay out of things in Port Charles that didn't concern him; he had enough trouble with the police without borrowing trouble from others.

"Apparently, she was stabbed in the heart and left in the tunnels of Wyndemere."

"Any leads?" She shook her head. "How's Alex?" He changed the subject.

"No concussion and the CT didn't show any damage. He's fine,"

"That's good. How are you really, Sam?" he could tell she needed to talk about everything that had happened.

"For a long time, Alex was the only person that I could count on; he was gone a lot but I never felt like he had abandoned us." Jason knew that Sam had some deep-seeded abandonment issues. So many people in her life had left and given up on her.

"When all of the fighting started, he wanted to go protect people, make a difference in the war. He decided to extend his contract with the corps; I was so mad at him. He didn't need them; he had me and Danny and he could have made a life in Virginia with us, but he just couldn't stand by and do nothing." Her eyes welled with tears as she spoke.

"He was deployed to Iraq?" The picture of how her brither 'died' was becoming clear.

"Falluja. He was a field commander and they were deploying his unit; Alex isn't the type of man who sends his troops into battle alone, he goes with them." Sam was crying freely now. "That's one of his greatest qualities: loyalty. It's gotten him in trouble more than once, but I wouldn't have him any other way."

"So he spent the last ten years in Falluja?"

"Something like that," she replied vaguely, "He and I are supposed to have a very long conversation tonight about everything that happened." Sam didn't like keeping things from Jason, but she honestly had no idea what Alex was allowed to say about his accident; most of his work was Classified.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jason was worried about her; she had experienced many emotional upheavals during her life in Pot Charles.

"Well he already knows about Danny and that I'm adopted; there aren't too many other bad things." Sam knew she was lying. In Port Charles, it was commonplace to be stalked, shot, blown up, caught in a fire, or any number of other harrowing events on a monthly basis.

"Are you going to tell him everything?"

"Yeah. He deserves to know." Jason gathered her in his arms. He knew she was going to have to open up about her cons and schemes as well as her losses, especially her daughter.

"Sam, I love you and I am here for you." She pulled herself further into his embrace. "He's your brother and he loves you, unconditionally. If he's half the man you described him as, you don't have anything to be afraid of."

"I love you, Jason, and I'm sorry for not telling you about him before; I just-"

"I know," he stopped her from having to explain, "You were devastated and it hurt to talk about him. I don't blame you. I think I understand as well as anyone the urge to bury things that make you sad."

"That's basically what my mom said when I told her about Alex," she chuckled at his expression of horror.

"Please do not compare me to Alexis," she smiled and moved to sit in his lap.

"Never again, I promise," she kissed him on the lips.

"Did I mention how much I missed you?" he maneuvered them so that he was lying on top of her on the couch.

"Why don't you show me," her hand inched toward his shirt.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late," she called as she rushed through the door of her apartment. It was already 7:48, "I was busy and I didn't notice the time," it sounded lame to her own ears. The truth was that she and Jason had gotten a little carried away after they ate lunch.

"It's alright," Alex walked into the living room and handed her a glass of wine, "Dinner will be ready at eight if you'd like to change."

"This morning, you said dinner was at 7:30." She eyed him suspiciously.

"Yes I did, and it is currently 7:49," he checked his watch.

"You knew I'd be late?" she shook her head.

"I figured that you would be busy, and I know how easy it can be to forget the time," he smiled at her innocently. She rolled her eyes and went back into her room to change. He was already placing the plates on the table when she walked into the dining room a few moments later.

"That smells amazing," on the plates were seared salmon, garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed zucchini. He had already poured two glasses of white wine.

"Well I had a lot of extra time today," he winked at her.

"Hilarious," she deadpanned. He shrugged his shoulders and sat down at the table with her to eat.

After a companionable dinner, they took their second glasses of wine outside to sit on her terrace.

"It's pretty here," he said after a moment of staring out at the city lights, "It's quieter and cleaner than I expected." She nodded in agreement.

"Especially for being so close to Manhattan. I like it here, despite all the craziness."

"It's surprisingly clear out tonight," he gestures to the stars that were shining despite the lights and the bustle of the city, "But I think the clearest view of the night sky that I have ever seen was on our trip. Nothing beats stargazing in the middle of the ocean."

"After you were gone, I spent a lot of nights out on the deck of my boat, just staring up at the stars and thinking. It just made everything seem so clear and simple."

"So do you want to start?" He asked after a lull in the conversation.

"Not really, but I suppose I should," he gave he a reassuring smile, "After you died, I did a lot of things that I'm not proud of," she paused to collect herself. Alex stayed patiently silent, letting her put her thoughts together, "Salvage work wasn't paying very well and Danny was having trouble coping with your death. I pulled cons and I committed thefts, whatever I needed to do to survive."

"Sam, I know what it's like to struggle. I'm not proud of the things that I've done, but I survived and that's all that matters," he looked her directly in the eyes. He could tell she was remembering all of her schemes and judging herself harshly, "You can't judge your past from your present," she looked slightly confused, "You're a different person now; you've grown and learned since then. You can't judge your actions back then based on your circumstances now. When you're safe and secure, it's easy to judge your actions as wrong but at the time they were necessary. You survived, and you took care of Danny. You did what you had to do." She nodded her head. "Anything else you think I should know?"

"Cody's dead." She studied his face at the news. His face held no emotion but his eyes swirled with feelings.

"I don't know whether to laugh or go dance on his grave," Alex had very limited contact with his father but he would always hate the man for the way he treated Sam.

"Well he's buried in the Port Charles Cemetery when you decide."

"Why is he buried here?" Cody had spent most of his time in California.

"He was living here when he died," Alex absently shook his head, "Don't worry, he's not buried anywhere near Danny. Or Lila." She whispered the last part but Alex heard her.

"Lila?" The tears started pooling in her eyes.

"My daughter was stillborn." He moved to sit next to her, "I never even got to see her." She collapsed into his arms.

"I'm so sorry that I was gone." He stroked her hair.

"Then why did you leave?" She tore away from him, "Why did you do it?"

"Because,"

"Because _why_?" She was tired of his evasion.

"Because I wanted to protect you!" he shouted, his usual cool demeanor completely gone.

"How is running off and playing secret agent all over the world protecting me?"

"It's a long story, kiddo." He sat down tiredly on the ledge. For the first time, Sam could see the toll his work had taken on him.

"Don't patronize me, Alex. I've been honest with you; I deserve to know why you left me."

"Do you remember what I was like when you first met me, Sam?" she nodded, "I was a wisp of a thing; I got picked on all the time. I wasn't strong enough to defend myself, but after a while it didn't matter, my intellect made up for it.

"And then I met you. _And Cody._ I saw a lot of myself in you: smart, headstrong, defenseless. I wasn't ever big enough or strong enough to protect you from him. I did my best, but it just wasn't good enough. And then one of my professors offered me what I wanted most: the power to protect people. All I had to do was joins the Marines; I was guaranteed a spot in their 'special operations' division; I jumped at the chance."

Sam hadn't thought about her upbringing in a long time; it was one of those taboo subjects, no matter who was asking. Cody McCall was a mean drunk and she was usually around when he went off on a bender. He saw her as a burden until she was old enough to pull her own weight and when she was on her own, she was a rival.

"Your professor was an NSA recruiter?"

"College campuses are great places to find smart, determined individuals; most of whom are naïve and have serious chips on their shoulders. They sign their lives away without thinking it through." Alex let her change the subject; she was already remembering her abuse at her father's hands and he didn't want to add to the stress.

"Is that what you did?" Alex had always seemed so excited about his work; he was saving the world.

"Don't get me wrong, it was the right choice for me; it just took me a long time to realize the cost of that particular choice."

"Is that why you quit?" About six months before he was deployed for the last time, he had told her that he had transferred out of 'special operations'.

"I didn't quit; I was asked to transfer," he looked at the ground, "I suppose that brings us to the second part of our conversation: my love life," he grimace, "For the life of me, I cannot understand it, but I am completely in love with a woman who stabbed me in the heart. Literally," he rubbed absently at the left side of his chest.

"You were hurt," he nodded at her, "When you came home for leave, you were recovering from an injury." She remembered that he was a little slower getting around and they stayed away from the water while he was home but she hadn't thought anything of it at the time; she was just happy to have him home for so long.

"That's the only thing that I have ever lied to you about, Sam," he had told her about his involvement with the NSA, despite the trouble he could have gotten into. Sam had always made sure not to ask him too many specific questions because he had always promised to tell her the truth, "I met this woman when I was working; I called her Fox because I honestly don't even know her real name," he shook his head, "We were in the same profession, we just played for different teams; she worked for MI-6."

"Sometimes we worked on the same side but most of the time we were working against each other. No matter who 'won', we'd meet up later, have dinner and fall into bed. It carried on for years, and then all hell broke loose. I got the order to eliminate her," Sam looked horrified at the news, "I couldn't do it; I loved her. So, met with her after our mission in Prague like normal, but instead of killing her, I asked her to run away with me. I thought, as long as we were together, we could figure it out. She gave me a hug and told me she was sorry; I didn't understand at first but then I felt the knife go in. She left me in an alley, bleeding to death." Sam got up and hugged her brother tightly. He had started crying slightly while he was telling his story.

"I found out later that she had received the same order, she was supposed to eliminate me before I got to her. The NSA didn't take too kindly to my 'failure' and asked me to transfer to another unit for the rest of my term."

They sat out on the ledge for a while longer, each lost in their own memories of the past.

"I have a question," Sam said after a while.

"Only one?" Alex laughed but nodded at her to go ahead.

"How did you end up in Israel."

"Ah," he sighed, she wasn't going to like the answer, "I was there to help James."

"Major Fitzpatrick?" He was the man who had escorted her to DC.

"James was in my unit," she understood what that meant: James was a spy as well, "He got stuck and he needed extraction; he asked me to help him. I got special permission and I took my unit to get him." It took Sam a few seconds to understand what he was saying.

"He was the 'asset' you rescued. You ran inside, got him out of the building and then got caught in an airstrike," he nodded grimly, "You know what?" she sighed, "It's in the past. You're here now and that's all that really matters." He put his arm around her shoulders and led them back into her apartment.

"Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." She kissed him on the cheek and went to her room to get some sleep.

* * *

_So how'd you like it? I have been struggling with writing this particular chapter but I think it came out okay. I hope you like it and reviews are always welcome. _


	10. Chapter 10

"Ha! Finally!" Sam gloated as they walked up the shore of the lake.

"Yes, you finally beat me," Alex rolled his eyes.

"I think I should get a prize," she stretched her arms behind her back.

"For winning a race that I had no idea I was participating in until you were well ahead of me?" He smirked as he pulled a shirt on over his head.

After settling into town, Alex had resumed his usual workout routine: a 6km swim, every morning at five o'clock. After a few days, she started to accompany him on his morning swim.

"Hey, don't be a sore loser," she grabbed her keys from her bag and they made their way over to her car. She paused to look at the lake before she got into the car, "I forgot how much I loved the water."

"It's a great way to stay in shape; plus everything else," he smirked as he buckled his seatbelt. Alex had decided that since Sam's job was potentially very dangerous, she needed to know how to defend herself properly. So in addition to the morning swims, he also worked with her on her self-defense skills and her shooting ability. His training made him a great teacher and her prior experience made her a great student.

"Yeah, I thought I was going to die after the first few sessions." The training was intensive, but after a few weeks, her body became used to the activity. She wasn't out of shape, but the sessions were more vigorous than she was used to.

"It's grueling, but it's honestly worth it. I feel much better knowing that you can handle yourself at all times," she shrugged her shoulders, "Speaking of which, I don't know if you know this or not, but I don't actually require a babysitter; I'm perfectly capable of spending an evening by myself. I'm sure that the other people in your life miss you,"

"I see them everyday."

"No, you go to work, where Spinelli usually is anyways, you have lunch with your boyfriend, and then you occasionally see your mother and your sisters. You come home every night to keep an eye on me." She gave him an incredulous look.

"What, do you follow me around everyday?" She was flustered. He had just perfectly described a weekday for her: work, where she would spend a fleeting moment catching up with her business partner before heading out for surveillance, lunch with Jason at the penthouse and then back off to work. She would occasionally speak to her mother and sisters on the phone but she had not actually spent any real time with them since Alex had arrived.

"You can't neglect your other relationships for me," he gave her a stern look, "We all love you and one day we are all going to have to learn to peacefully co-exist." He knew that Sam was worried about how everyone would get along. She didn't want her sisters to feel like they were being abandoned for her brother and she was still wary of the interaction between her brother and her boyfriend. Alexis and Jason disliked each other and Sam feared that Alex would have similar interactions with them. She didn't know if she could handle it if they didn't get along so she kept them apart.

"It's not that," she lied.

"You're afraid that we aren't going to get along; and I get that, I do. But you can't keep up this ridiculous balancing act: one hour with this person, a few minutes with this one. It's not fair to any of us. We all deserve to have your full attention."

"What do you want me to do?" She pulled into her parking spot at her building.

"Spend the night with your boyfriend," she gave him a quizzical look; that had not been what she was expecting him to say, "I know you miss him. Go have dinner, spend the night; just be with him."

"What are you going to do?" He shook his head in exasperation.

"I'm going to do whatever I want. I'm an adult; I can handle a night alone." His tone made no room for argument.

* * *

"It's open," Jason called from his desk. He smiled as Sam's from appeared in the doorway. "I thought we were having lunch at the penthouse." He stood up to greet her.

"I unfortunately have to cancel," she kissed him on the lips, "I have a new case and it's going to require a bit of extra surveillance."

"Anything I can help with?" He tried to hide his disappointment at her news. He loved the few hours that he got to steal away with Sam for lunch.

"No, just routine stuff. I'll be done pretty early actually." His eyebrows picked up at her tone, "And I was thinking that we could change our usual lunch into a dinner. Just you and me at the penthouse?"

"I think that sounds amazing," he held her close.

"I'm sorry," she said after a moment.

"For what?" he released her and they sat on the edge of his desk.

"Alex made me realize that I was maybe neglecting some of the people in my life, you especially."

"I understand, Sam," it was true, he understood why she couldn't spend as much time with her lately; he didn't necessarily like it but he understood that she was just trying to make things easier for everyone involved. "It's hard to balance everyone in your life."

"And you're an important part of my life, Jason." She looked up at him. For better or worse, Jason had become an important person in her life. From the time he stepped up to be the father of her daughter, he had claimed a special place in her life. It had been difficult at first to trust that his intentions were genuine, but he had proven himself as trustworthy time and time again. He had seen her through some of the worst times of her life; he had also been a contributing factor to some of them, but she didn't think she could ever truly live without him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her sweetly on the lips.

"I have to go. Spinelli's waiting for me." She hopped off the desk.

"You're taking Spinelli with you? He's going to do surveillance?" He gave her a skeptical look.

"He's been doing a great job lately and I think he's ready to get his feet wet." He gave her another look, "It's just simple surveillance and he'll be with me the whole time. We'll be fine." She hoped. Her partner had an amazing heart and tons of enthusiasm, but they sometimes got him into serious trouble. She gave Jason a last lingering look and sauntered out of his office.

* * *

"Got my message, I see," Alex commented to the bushes as he sat on the bench at the park. A man emerged from the greenery. He was about 5'9" with gray, receding hair and a weathered face.

"It's not everyday I get a message from a dead man," he sat next to Alex. His voice was soft but forceful; he had a very slight English accent.

"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." He paraphrased the illustrious Mark Twain saying.

"How have you been, Alexander?" the man sat down on the bench.

"Much better as of late," he replied vaguely, "And you Ash? How have you been?"

"My age seems to finally be catching up with me, but one can hardly complain about that." The two men sat on the park bench for a few minutes, staring out at the playing children. "I imagine you had a reason for contacting me, Alex." The younger man smiled.

"Always to the point, Ash." He smiled and turned to face his companion, "I need a few things."

"Your usual order, I'd imagine." He took a small notepad from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

"Not quite," Alex reached for the notepad and scribbled a few things on the paper, "I also need a few names." He handed it back to Ash.

"I've never known you to be without contacts, Alex," he read over the list.

"I've been gone for almost a decade. Unfortunately, all of my contacts are either dead or otherwise useless."

"I'll need three days." Ash indicated the list.

"And the names?" They both stood.

"I've got a few that might be useful." The two men shook hands and left the park.

* * *

"Where have you been all day?" Sam asked when he stepped through the door. It was already 5pm, she was almost finished getting ready for her dinner with Jason.

"I was at the park for a while," Alex put his keys and phone down on the desk, "I explored the town a little, sat around and lounged." She gave him a skeptical glance.

"I don't think I've ever seen you 'lounge', Alex." He shrugged his shoulders, "You spent the entire day at the park?"

"I ran a few errands, started some other things I've been meaning to get around to." She frowned at his vague answer. He usually only did that when he didn't want her to be involved in something. She gave him a penetrating look. "If I tell you it's a surprise, will you drop it?"

"Fine," she would leave it alone for a little while longer, but she was still curious. She had no idea what he had been doing in his spare time lately. For a few weeks, he had been working on restoring a car that had been in his old storage unit; he had owned a 1966 Shelby GT350 since he was fifteen, a present from his mother. It was in good condition, but it needed a few parts cleaned or replaced after sitting for ten years so he had rented a space near the docks that he could use to store his belongings and fix his car. He had finished it a week ago, so she had no idea what he was doing during the day anymore.

"You look beautiful," she was primping her hair in the mirror near the fireplace.

"Yeah?" Sam was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, an off-white blouse with small buttons, and a pair of her favorite boots; they were black with a skinny heel and they rose to the middle of her calf. Her hair was down, but it had been teased slightly, and a simple pair of gold hoops adorned her ears.

"Absolutely,"

"You'll be fine, right?" He rolled his head back and groaned.

"You realize that I'm almost forty, right? You don't need to keep an eye on me." He didn't even need to stay with her but Sam had insisted on having him live with her for a while.

"I know, I just feel like I need to protect you and-"

"I've told you before; it's _my_ job to protect _you_."

"No, it's not. I'm an adult too, Alex." She put her hands on her hips. They both took a few minutes to collect their thoughts.

"You're right," he said after a pause, "You're an adult and you can protect yourself. I think we both need to work on that: letting the other live their own lives and make their own mistakes." He stood up and crossed the room so that he was now standing a foot away from her. "It's going to be really hard to see you as anything other than that ten year old girl I first met, but I promise you that I will make a serious effort to see you as an equal, not someone who needs my protection." She stepped into his open embrace.

"Thank you and I'll try to do the same."

"You'd better get going," she stepped back and smiled.

"Not too much trouble while I'm gone," she reminded him as she stepped out the door.

* * *

"That was amazing," Sam put her napkin down next to her plate. When she had arrived at the penthouse, Jason had been ready for her. He had dimmed the lights in the room and placed soft candles throughout; the table held clean, white linens and two simple place settings with candles; he had even cooked for her, chicken with pasta.

"Well I figured I should take advantage while you had the time," she blushed slightly at his smoldering gaze.

"Really?" she smiled, "And how did you intend on taking advantage of me tonight?" she sipped slowly from her wine glass. He licked his lips slightly, thinking over his plans for the rest of the evening.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked softly.

"What?" she thought she might have misheard him, "You hate dancing," they'd been through this before.

"I've never minded dancing with you," he stood up to turn on the stereo. He turned around and offered her his hands. She took it and they were soon swaying slightly to the soft music. The two danced for a while longer and then eventually sat together on the couch, simply resting in each other's arms.

"This is one of my favorite places to be," she sighed contentedly against his chest.

"Mine too." He smiled at her relaxed form; she was truly incredible. Throughout all of the insanity in his life, the 'business', Carly, Sonny, the boys, Sam had stuck with him. She was his partner, his best friend and he would do anything in his power to make her happy and keep her safe. "Sam,"

"Hmm?" she inquired lazily.

"Marry me," she instantly jerked up at his suggestion. While marriage had been discussed in very broad terms at one time, they had never actually sat down and talked through the subject.

"What?" They both sat up.

"I want you to marry me," he tried to gauge her reaction; she had a 'deer-in-the-headlights' look on her face, "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Jason, I love you too," he could sense her hesitation and patiently waited for her to continue, "I honestly cannot imagine my life without you."

"But?" she tried to formulate a cohesive thought.

"I like where we are right now," she finished lamely. It was true; their relationship was perfect for her: they were in a committed, monogamist relationship but led separate lives. She could count on him but she was still able to be self-reliant.

"So do I," he assured her, "But I'm ready to take that next step; I want all of you." And that was what scared Sam out of her mind. Giving herself to him completely again. "Marry me, Sam," he pulled a ring from his pocket.

"Jason-" Her response was cut off by the door opening.

"I said no interruptions," Jason gave his famous 'Stone Cold' stare to Max. The bodyguard visibly shrank back at the look on his boss's face.

"I know Jason, but it's important," Jason continued to give him a blank stare, "Your phones are off and no one could reach you guys. Someone opened fire at the park; Mr. C and Miss Davis are at GH." Both Sam and Jason sighed loudly: he in exacerbation and she in relief. They got up from the couch and followed Max to an awaiting car, the rest of their plans and discussion momentarily forgotten.

* * *

_Hey all! *Dodges projectiles* I know, I'm sorry for the ending, especially those of you who wanted to hear what Sam was going to say… This was actually a surprisingly difficult chapter to write; it actually took me a whole two weeks to figure out how to start it but I think it came out much better than I had originally intended. Anyways please review; the more I get the more I want to write the rest of the story…._


	11. Chapter 11

_AN: So I guess that at this point, my story is pretty AU…. Enjoy! Also, reviews would be greatly appreciated…_

_

* * *

_

"You know," the brunette stretched underneath the covers, "At first I thought this was going to be a bad idea, but now I'm thinking I made a great decision."

"I'll take that as a compliment." The man adjusted them so that she was lying slightly on top of him, their legs still intertwined.

"I meant it as one." Olivia Falconeri curled further into his side. Alex kissed the top of her head and sighed contentedly.

"I guess it's a good thing I found myself needing a drink tonight," she fingered the dogtags he wore around his neck gently.

"It was for me," she pulled him down to her mouth for a soft kiss. The pair lay in her bed, drifting off to sleep when the annoying beeping of a phone interrupted them. "I think that's yours." He groaned and got up to retrieve his phone from his pants pocket.

"I apparently have a voicemail," he hit the button to listen to it, "I didn't actually hear it ring."

"Well we were sorta otherwise occupied," Olivia had put a robe on and walked into the kitchen for a glass of water.

"Shit," he blew out a long breath.

"Everything alright?" she brought a glass back for him as well.

"I don't know," he pulled his pants on and fastened his belt, "But apparently catching a bullet is about as common as catching a cold in this town." He found his t-shirt near the door. She nodded her head knowingly.

"There's a pretty big mob element in town," she explained.

"Well that's kind of presumptuous. Just because there's mob violence in town doesn't automatically mean that every crime is mob related." Something that most people in Port Charles failed to realize. Jason might not be a law-abiding citizen, but he was hardly the nefarious figure-head everyone made him out to be.

"In my experience, the two are usually linked." He gave her a questioning glance, "My ex, the guy you rescued me from tonight, was in pretty deep. One of the reasons I broke up with him."

"But not the main one," Alex prompted; the search for his shoes momentarily forgotten. She studied the glass in her hands, "I'm sorry, that's not really any of my business." They had just met a few hours ago at Jake's. Johnny had been harassing Olivia about their break-up so she had sat down next to Alex to make a point. After a few drinks and a bit of flirting, she had invited him back to her apartment.

"Johnny is his own worst enemy right now and I couldn't sit by and watch him self-destruct anymore." After Sonny's acquittal, Johnny had tried to resurrect the Zachara Empire and get revenge for his sister. Olivia had tried her hardest to get him to leave it alone, but he quickly became consumed with revenge and hatred. Jason respected Johnny too much to kill him, but he made sure that it was impossible for Johnny to challenge him for control of the business.

"If you want," he slipped his shoes on his feet, "We can just consider this a one-time thing." It was obvious to him that she still loved Johnny.

"We probably should," she moved to where he stood near the front door of her apartment, "But I could use a distraction, and I'm sure you," she kissed him passionately, "Can be very distracting."

"As much fun as this is going to be," he turned them and pinned her to the wall, "I really have to get to the hospital." Her eyes were dark with desire, "I should be free tomorrow night."

"Call me," she kissed him once more before he left her apartment.

* * *

"How is she?" Alex spotted his sister in the waiting room of the ER.

"I don't know yet, the doctor is still in with her." She was sitting in the chairs alone; she looked frazzled.

"What happened?" Sam's message had been short: _Alexis is in the hospital, I think someone shot her._

"I don't really know yet. Max told us that someone shot at Sonny and that he and my mother were taken to the ER."

"Your mother was with Sonny?"

"She had to have him sign papers for Kristina's school registration." Her responses were devoid of emotion, revealing how scared she truly was.

"Kristina was there?" He sounded worried for her sister's wellbeing.

"No, she and Molly are still at their summer camp thing," After Nikolas' shooting, Alexis had sent them to a summer camp to give them some time away from the city.

"Good," he took the seat next to her and grabbed her hand. "She'll be fine, kiddo." His voice was calm and reassuring; that was all it took for the floodgates to open. Sam began to cry heavily while Alex patted her back in a soothing manner. After a few minutes, she managed to calm herself and stop crying. Alex looked around the waiting room.

"Jason is taking care of some business," Sam said off-handedly.

"I didn't ask,"

"You were 'not asking' very loudly." He smiled at her; she could read him better than anyone.

"What does he think happened?" Sam could see the wheels of his mind turning.

"He thinks that one of his rivals tried to kill Sonny as revenge."

"Does he have someone particular in mind?" Sam frowned for a second. She trusted Alex completely but at the same time, it involved Jason's business, something that he still kept her out of as much as he could. After she had lied to the police to help cover for Michael, Jason had tried to keep her out of his 'business' dealings. It worked out pretty well, but it was sometimes annoying that he couldn't be completely honest.

"Jerry Jacks," Sam knew that she could trust her brother and he might even be able to help track the bastard down.

"The guy who shot Nikolas," Sam nodded, "So Jason thinks you're in danger?" He nodded to the bodyguard at the other end of the waiting room. At first, Alex thought the guard was there for Jason.

"He's just being cautious." She could see emotions fighting in his eyes.

"Promise me that you'll keep your eyes open," his request shocked her. Sam was expecting Alex to overreact and demand that she not leave his side. So far, he was sticking to his promise to treat her like an adult.

"Ms. McCall," Dr. Niles diverted their attention. They both stood up immediately.

"How is my mother?"

"She's fine." Sam gave the doctor a skeptical look, "Honestly, Sonny did the most damage when he fell on top of her." They both gave her a confused look, "Neither of them was shot; Sonny threw her down when the shooting started. Just a few bruises."

"Can I see her?"

"Well the police are taking her statement right now, but-" Sam was already headed to her mother's room, "Or not."

"It's nothing against you," Alex assured her. Dr. Niles smiled at him and left. Alex sighed and pulled out his phone and typed a text message. 'I need something else'; he sent it and waited for a reply. A few seconds later his phone vibrated.

'I figured you would'; Alex shook his head at the reply.

* * *

"The doctor said you were-" Sam stopped talking as soon as she entered her mother's room, "Sorry," her mother and Mac broke apart from their kiss immediately, "I should have knocked first and-"

"Its fine, sweetie," he mother assured her, "Actually, you have impeccable timing." She had a huge smile on her face. Sam looked from her over to Mac, who had an equally large smile on his face.

"What's going on?"

"Well," She shifted her hands; Sam noticed it immediately. On her mother's usually bare ring finger now rested a modest sized diamond mounted on gold band. She walked over to embrace her mother.

"Congratulations," she stood up and gave Mac a loose hug as well, he returned it awkwardly. The three were silent for a few uncomfortable seconds before Sam spoke, "Well clearly, you're in good hands, so I'm going to head home. I love you mom and I'm really glad you're okay. Call me if you need anything," she nodded to Mac on her way out. Alex was waiting for her outside of her mother's room.

"Everything okay?"

"They got engaged," she replied absently as they began walking towards the elevator.

"That's good, right? I mean, he seems okay," he clarified.

"Mac's a really good guy; she deserves to be with someone like him," she absently hit the button for the first floor.

"You don't exactly seem enthusiastic," they walked through the ER to the parking lot; he silently guided her to his car.

"I am," she defended, "I just have a lot of other stuff going through my mind right now." He nodded as he opened her door for her.

"Are we supposed to give him a ride?" He looked around for the bodyguard who had been stationed in the ER before.

"I'm sure Jason has it figured out already; he usually does." Alex gave her a questioning look before starting the car and driving them back to the apartment.

* * *

Jason sighed and hung up the phone; Cody had just informed him that Sam and Alex had made it back to the apartment. He had ordered Cody to keep an eye on Sam and make sure that the building was clear; she probably wouldn't like it but he felt better knowing that she was safe.

"I have the footage that Stone Cold requested," Spinelli called from the couch. Jason walked over to the back of the couch so he could see the computer screen. "This is the security footage from a private residence near the park," he pressed play: Sonny and Alexis were just visible on the far left of the frame; a figure slowly emerged from the bushes across from them; suddenly, Sonny threw Alexis on the ground, shielding her with his body his own.

"Go back," Spinelli rewound to just before the shots happened, "See if you can get a shot of his face," Jason pointed at the outline shooter. Spinelli entered some commands on his keyboard.

"It would appear that The Master's suspicions are correct," a slightly blurry image of Jerry Jacks appeared on the screen, "The Demented One is in fact responsible for the attempts on Mr. Sir and The Goddess Mother."

"Go back to the video, see if you can track his movements after the shooting," he waited for Spinelli to analyze the video.

"The Jackal is regrettably unable to find The Demented One on any of the surrounding traffic or security cameras."

"Dammit," Jason rolled his neck in frustration. They had been trying to find Jerry for weeks now and they still had nothing to go on, "We need to find him, Spinelli; before he hurts someone else."

"Has Fair Samantha been able to gather any leads?" Jason shook his head.

"I told her about that Jerry shot Nikolas, but I haven't asked her to help track him down."

"Surely another set of eyes and a fresh mind would benefit the search,"

"Sam has a lot to deal with right now." Jason was also trying to keep Jerry away from Sam; she had been kidnapped and nearly killed by Jerry too many times for his liking. Spinelli nodded his head.

"Perhaps it would benefit Stone Cold if he were to let Fair Samantha make her own decision about the matter," a glare from Jason quieted any further suggestions, "The Jackal will continue his search for the Demented One." Jason sighed and retreated into the kitchen. He knew that Sam would be helpful but he honestly didn't want to put her in that position again; he needed her in his life too much. Jason pulled an orange soda out of the refrigerator and took it to Spinelli; the young man accepted the peace offering without comment and returned to his computer.

Jason hadn't meant to take out his frustrations on his roommate, but they were getting the better of him lately. He felt like he was powerless to stop Jerry, a feeling that was certainly not accustomed to. He was used to being in control; fixing problems and helping those he cared about. He would do anything for the people he loved.

* * *

"What are you still doing up?" Alex had gotten into the shower after they had gotten home. He was just about to turn in but the lights from the kitchen had caught his attention.

"Just thinking," Sam replied absently; she had an empty beer bottle in front of her, "I can't seem to shut my mind off tonight." Alex took a few seconds to study his little sister; as much as she tried to hide it, he could tell that she was stressing out about something.

"What are you doing this weekend?" He filled a glass with water and leaned against the counter across from her.

"Nothing, actually; I was supposed to be working but Spinelli and I ended up getting everything we needed this afternoon." He nodded his head.

"You should get some sleep; we're leaving at eight sharp." He rinsed his glass and put it in the dishwasher.

"Where are we going?" She did the same with her wine glass.

"I'm kidnapping you for a bit. We'll be back Sunday afternoon."

"Where are we going?" she flipped the switch for the lights.

"That," he smiled at her, "Is for me to know and you to find out." He winked at her and retreated into his own room.


	12. Chapter 12

"_Hey, it's me; you're probably still asleep… Uh, Alex and I are taking a trip out of town. I don't really know where I'm going or what I'll be doing; it's some kind of a surprise. We'll be back tomorrow night though. I don't know if you'll be busy or not but- Sorry, I'm rambling... Anyways, I'll call you when I get back. I love you."_

Jason frowned as he listened to Sam's message again. He was hoping to talk to her sometime today but apparently she was going to be out of town until the next evening so that wasn't going to be possible.

"What are you doing about Jerry Jacks?" Sonny stormed into the penthouse without knocking, as usual.

"No one has any idea where he's hiding out, Sonny."

"He needs to be found and dealt with, Jason. He almost killed me and the mother of my child."

"I understand that; we've been looking for him for weeks." Jason sighed at his oldest friend. This was the last thing they needed; Sonny's involvement usually made the situation worse and they were already having enough trouble with Jerry.

"This is unacceptable, Jason. He should have been stopped a long time ago."

"He was safe because of Carly," Jason reminded him, "I promised her that I wouldn't go after Jerry while she and Jax were together."

"Cause that worked out so well. Kangaroo Boy pulled all kinds of strings to have an undercover cop, my own son, investigate me and then he ended up getting Michael convicted for involuntary manslaughter." The judge had accepted Michael's self-defense plea and ordered counseling, community service and probation for the young man. Jason was furious at Dante because he exposed Michael as the killer, even after Sonny was acquitted. Although Michael had received a suspended sentence so there was no real reason to go after Dante or Jax.

"I'm working on it, Sonny. The men are looking for him and I have Spinelli trying to track his financials and phone records."

"What about Sam? Has she found anything?"

"Sam's been busy with other stuff."

"Yeah, Carly told me something about that. So she has a brother, huh?" Jason nodded as he sat down on the desk, "What's he like?"

"I don't really know. I've only met him once."

"You aren't curious? He probably knows her better than anyone."

"I already know who Sam is." Jason shrugged. It was true, he knew her better than most people but there was a small part of him that was curious about her life before Port Charles. Jason knew how Sam would react and what she would do, but Alex knew _why_ she did it. Jason knew that she had a self-deprecating nature but he didn't know what exactly what caused it; he could guess but Sam had never openly discussed her formative years with him.

"I'm just saying; he knows what makes her tick." Sonny shrugged.

"How are the boys?" Jason changed the subject.

"They're doing better. Michael is finishing his community service and going to his therapy sessions; he's a lot calmer. Morgan is adjusting to baby and the divorce. They actually went to a Yankee's game with Dante and Lulu today." Carly still didn't like Sonny's oldest son but Morgan loved his brother and wanted to get to know him; Michael didn't trust Dante either but he spent time with him and Morgan often.

"Good." Jason nodded.

"Stone Cold! Stone Cold! The Jackal has found it!" Spinelli raced down the stairs.

"Calm down," the hacker stopped at the base of the staircase, "What did you find?"

"Mr. Sir," he nodded at Sonny, "I believe I have located a money trail for The Demented One."

"Finally. Alright, let's get Bernie over here to help." Spinelli bolted back up to his room. "Sonny, when I find Jerry, I _will_ take care of him." He nodded and then left.

* * *

"This is amazing," Sam accepted the beer and hot dog that her brother offered her.

"Worth the drive?" She nodded as she took a bit of her food. "And the mystery?"

"Yes, this is absolutely worth it." Alex had pulled out of the garage at 8am, refusing to tell Sam where they were headed; he told her she had to guess. It had taken a few hours and about a hundred questions, but Sam had finally figured it out.

"I don't think there is anything better to do on a summer afternoon," he drained the last of his water.

"Nope." Sam smiled and settled herself into the seat.

"Do you remember the first time we came here?"

"Yup. You had just come home on leave, so I had pulled Danny out of school to come stay with us and he was really sad because he was missing a field trip to the zoo or something." She waved her hand absently.

"And so we decided that we should take a field trip of our own." She scoffed.

"We drove for like two days. Every time one of us saw something we wanted to do, we stopped."

"And then we got into Philadelphia." She nodded.

"The second he saw that stadium, I knew he was going to love it." They watched the Phillies game in front of them for a while, "I took him a few times, after you were gone," she said after a few plays, "Whenever I had the money and the time, we would drive up to Philly and catch a game."

"I'm sure he loved that," Sam could hear the emotion in his voice.

"He really missed you. I think being here helped; he felt closer to your memory here." Alex put an arm around and watched the rest of the game.

* * *

"The money is coming from an account in the Canary Islands. There have been two transfers to Port Charles residents, neither of whom seem to actually exist. The money is going to The Port Charles Bank."

"So someone is sending money to the bank?" Jason gave Bernie a funny look.

"It seems like it but the money was picked up by actual people. Spinelli is trying hack into the bank's security cameras right now but I doubt that Jerry would be stupid enough to pick up the cash in person."

"He probably sent some lackey." Jason nodded. "Do we know who's sending the money? Is there a name on the account?"

"I'm not sure, but I assume it's an account of Jerry's that we didn't know about before." Bernie handed Jason a manila folder.

"Alright, maybe if we stop his cash flow we can get him to come out into the open."

"I'm already working on it." Bernie grabbed his briefcase from the desk and left.

"Was that the Bernificent One?" Spinelli came down the stairs carrying his laptop and an orange soda.

"Yeah, he's working on linking Jerry to the account. Did you get into the Port Charles Bank's security system?"

"The Jackal succeeded in finding the footage but unfortunately it was as expected. The Demented One did not physically receive the funds and each time a different person claimed the transfer."

"Did you try and identify the people who picked the money up?" Maybe they could find Jerry through his flunkies. Spinelli shook his head.

"Any positive identification will be impossible; both men are wearing hats and sunglasses to obscure their faces." Jason shook his head.

"Keep working with Bernie." He grabbed his keys and phone from the desk and headed out the door.

* * *

"Thank-you, Alex." Sam's voice was thick with emotion.

"It's just a sandwich." He joked; they were sitting in a booth at their favorite sandwich shop in Philadelphia. She shook her head at him.

"I needed this," she gestured around them, "I needed time to think."

"I was going to suggest that we go sailing, but I figured you probably couldn't be gone for that long. You seem to have a lot going on right now." Before when life got to be too much, they would simply sail up and down the east coast for a few days to clear their heads and think.

"I have a lot more responsibilities now," Alex nodded at her.

"That tends to happen when a person grows up," she smiled.

"Jason proposed." Sam said after a long pause; she was staring off into the distance. Alex studied her face carefully before speaking.

"Am I offering my congratulations?"

"I didn't really get the chance to answer him; we had to rush off to the hospital. So much has been going on lately," she shook her head tiredly. "Well?" She asked him after a moment.

"Well what?" she gave him a pointed look, "I can't tell you what to do, kiddo."

"You have an opinion; I know you do."

"Why is my opinion so important to you? If he makes you happy, then I'm happy for you."

"Don't give me that crap, Alex." Alex's opinion had always been important to Sam. In many ways, he was like a parent that she didn't want to disappoint.

"I've never really spoken to Jason," he paused to look at her, "Fine; I think he's a self-important jackass."

"Wow," she had been expecting his reaction but not to such an extreme degree. Sam had been completely honest with Alex about her entire tenure in Port Charles. He knew everything about her and Jason's relationship, past and present.

"Honestly, I don't like the way he treats you. It seems like you're an afterthought to him and I hate it; you deserve to be someone's primary concern."

"Jason is always concerned about me."

"Making decisions for you and making them with you are two very different concepts. You and he are together; his choices and actions affect you just as much as they affect him. He makes these unilateral decisions and then tells you about them after the fact. And you-"

"I don't make decisions for both of us." She interjected hotly.

"No, you avoid them because you're running scared and I completely understand; I do." Running around the world playing super-spy was a great way to run away from things.

"Jason making choices without me is an issue." She admitted weakly. She was scared that the past would repeat itself; Sam and Jason's relationship had always taken a back-seat to whatever crisis was happening and she had always seemed to come in last place with him. The breaking point had been when Jason had decided that she couldn't be with him because his life was too dangerous; they had never really regained their trust in each other after that summer.

"So why did you stay with him for so long. Why are you with him now?"

"I love him." It was as simple as that, "One of the things I love most about him is his protectiveness. There is nothing that he wouldn't do to protect someone he loves. Carly, Sonny, the boys, Kristina, Molly; he would die to protect them"

"I can appreciate his desire to keep his family safe, but where does that leave you? I know it affects you, Jason's readiness to run off into the unknown to save someone else." Alex sighed in frustration; the thing he wanted most was for his sister to be with someone who she really loved and who loved her the way she deserved to be loved, "Sam you have one foot out the door, ready to run at the first sign of trouble; it's completely understandable given your history but you're creating this self-fulfilling prophecy: If you continually expect your relationship to fail, it eventually will."

"I don't want to be scared but it's really hard not to be. I loved him and trusted him with everything I had and he let me down! He tried to protect me so much that he broke me, and I honestly feel like he might do it again sometimes!" She finally admitted the truth aloud; she was pissed and had been for a while. When they got back together in August, she thought that things would be different; for a while they were. Inevitably though, Sonny's inability to control his own life spilled into their relationship. Jason once again made decisions without for her and he kept secrets to protect her; it was déjà vu. After everything with Michael had settled down in April, Jason had worked like hell to get their relationship back in order but the truth was that Sam still had serious reservations. She had been burned too many times by him in the past to believe that it wouldn't happen again. That fear is what kept her from fully committing to him and their life together.

"Kiddo, I know you haven't really seen enough functional relationships to know what it should be like but I need you to learn from those mistakes. You need to seriously think about what you want and commit to a decision. Either way, you can't keep doing things halfway; you'll never be truly happy like that."

"I don't think I can be happy without him," Sam said in a small voice. Without a doubt, Jason was the love of her life. Her life just didn't work right without him in it, at least on some level; even if it was just as friends. One of her greatest reservations about resuming a relationship with him was the thought of loosing a friend if things didn't work out.

"But are you really happy with him?" The tears that had been forming in her eyes began to fall lightly, "I just- I don't want to see you settle. If he wants to make a life with you then he needs to make some concessions." He moved to her side of the booth and put his arm around her, "How about we do some shopping; we can find souvenirs for you sisters." She smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes.

* * *

_AN: Okay, so a few things that I would like to point out:_

_A) I am a Jasam shipper and I always have been. I started watching the show when they got together the first time and they honestly **made **the show for me. _

_B) I really dislike what's going on with them right now; they have enough problems in their relationship without adding the ridiculous-ness that is coming up in the next few weeks. _

_C) I really think that they belong together, they just need to get over themselves and face their problems. _

_So while I know it seems like I am trying to break them up, I am really trying to make them deal with their issues so they can be happy together. Anyways, my rant is over and I would seriously like some feedback fom you guys. Please review. _


	13. Chapter 13

"Beer?" Sam offered the bottle to him.

"I've got a soda," Alex declined her offer. She shrugged and took a pull from her own bottle.

"It's a really nice day." Sam leaned against the tree he was stangding next to.

"A picturesque July afternoon." Alex took in his surroundings. They were on the shore of the lake in Alexis's backyard. There was a large picnic table set up, filled with various foods and beverages; streamers adorned several of the trees and a banner was hung on the back porch reading _Congratulations._

"You really want to leave, don't you?" Alex smiled at his sister.

"It's nothing against them," he gestured to the happy couple standing near the grill, "I just don't really enjoy social gatherings. Besides, I don't really know anyone here except for you."

"You know Robin," Sam pointed out.

"She's my doctor," he dismissed her claim.

"Well then, I guess you're just going to have to get to know them." Sam pulled his arm until he followed her over to the crowd. Robin, Patrick, Maxie, and Spinelli were standing around Molly and Kristina, listening to their recounts of summer camp.

"I still can't believe mom made me go. I'm sixteen years old; I don't need to be babysat." Kristina had just finished telling the group.

"Mom wanted you to have a semi-normal summer for once," Sam chided her sister.

"Yeah right, Sam. She sent us because someone almost killed Nikolas," a tense silence followed her statement.

"_Oh my God_," Alex whispered to himself. Sam turned sharply to him.

"What?" Her voice was tense.

"She's _you _at sixteen," he threw his hands up in the air, "You have my sympathies, Ms. Davis," he called over to the girls mother. Sam smacked him in the arm as hard as she could. "Ow," he rubbed his arm.

"You knew Sam when she was my age?" Kristina asked timidly. Their mother had explained that Alex was Sam's adopted brother but, as with most details from Sam's past, they knew little else.

"I have known Sam since she was ten."

"Really?" Molly's eyes were as wide as saucers, "What was she like?" Alex looked over at Sam for permission; she gave him a slight nod.

"Well as far as looks go, you could be her doppelganger," he looked at Kristina, "Although she was probably a bit shorter," another smack from Sam, "And honestly, her personality hasn't changed much." He glared at his sister.

"Really?" Molly was captivated. Alex nodded.

"You're big sister has always been a smart, resilient, abd ridiculously bull-headed person." Another smack from Sam. "Stop karate chopping my arm."

"Well stop lying to them." He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I can easily illustrate my point. I could tell them about that time-" Sam covered his mouth with her hand.

"That's not necessary," she knew exactly what story he was going to tell.

"Oh, come on, please Sam?" Kristina tried her best puppy dog look. Sam sighed and glared at Alex.

"Fine." Everyone sat down at the large picnic bench to hear the story. Mac and Alexis, who had been listening to the group, brought the food from the grill to the table. Once everyone had their food, Alex began his story.

"So, it was the weekend of Sam's fourteenth birthday. I had promised her that we would go sailing. I had a little sailboat at the harbor near her apartment, but I got really bogged down with finals and all; I was finishing my masters at Harvey Mudd and part of my final for one of my classes was this group presentation. Unfortunately, her birthday was the only day we could all meet to finalize the presentation for the next week, so I called Sam and told her that our trip would have to wait until next weekend. Needless to say, it didn't go over very well.

"So I'm in the library, arguing with this idiot over the presentation when this cop comes over and interrupts me," Sam put her hands in her head, "Apparently, my boat had been impounded and I needed to contact the San Diego Police Department immediately to resolve the issue." Everyone's eyes were glued to him as he told the story, except for Alexis, who kept alternating her glances from Alex to Sam and then over to Kristina.

"So I bolt to my car and hop on the freeway; I'm freaking out the whole time. I mean, I had pretty much already guessed what happened but Sam hadn't been mentioned in the whole mess so I had no idea what was going on."

"Why didn't you just call her?" Molly asked.

"This was before cell phones. Anyways, so I finally get down to the police department; I run in and who do I find sitting at a detective's desk?" A few chuckles escaped his audience.

"Sam is sitting there, facing the detective, completely stonewalling him. He keeps asking her name and her address and she's just giving him this glare; oh man, if looks could kill."

"That detective was a sexist jerk. He kept calling me sweetie and honey, talking to me like I was an idiot." Sam defended herself. Alex rolled his eyes at her.

"Because it had _nothing_ to do with the fact that you were fourteen," Sam glared at him, "So I go over to the detective to see what happened. Apparently, some delinquent had taken my boat for a joy ride and had been apprehended by the Coast Guard." He looked at Sam; she shrugged her shoulders.

"I was upset. It was my birthday and you had cancelled on me. I just wanted to be out on the water," she tried to explain.

"That's all well and good, but the fact is that were fourteen and you took a boat that wasn't yours," Alexis chipped in.

"I had already been sailing in that boat for years. The only reason that the Coast Guard even looked at me was because the water had gotten pretty choppy and I was maybe driving a bit too fast." Alex scoffed.

"They way the detective told it, you were practically flying through the air when the Coast Guard spotted you." Alex shook his head, "Anyways, it took a while to convince the cops that I didn't want to press charges and that they should just let her go and release my boat.

"You didn't get in any trouble?" Kristina asked. Sam shook her head no.

"But I learned a very important lesson," Alex looked at his sister, "If there's a will, Sam will find a way."

"Wow," Maxie was the first to break the silence, "So you've pretty much always been a danger junkie then?" Everyone snickered.

"I guess so," Sam shrugged.

"Do you have pictures?" Alex turned to Alexis, "From when Sam was younger?" She clarified.

"Yeah," he nodded his head, "I have a few photo albums in storage. I'm not a particularly sentimental person, but I seem to remember taking a lot of photos."

"We still do," Sam reminded him, "I have pictures from our trip to Philadelphia."

"And a few gifts," he stood from the table, "I'll go get them." He put out his hands for her car keys.

"We'll help," Molly volunteered herself and Kristina; they wanted a chance to ask Alex more questions about their big sister. She intercepted the keys from Sam.

"I guess their going to help," he got up and followed them over to the car. Sam had parked nearest to the picnic site because she had brought the coolers and drinks.

"He knows you so well," Alexis commented as she and Sam stood up and started clearing off the table.

"Alex was someone that I could always count on growing up," Sam shrugged off the comment. She knew that her mother was slightly hurt by the closeness that she and Alex shared. Sam was probably closer to her siblings than she would ever be to her mother. For some reason, there was always something that seemed to prevent them from having a true mother-daughter bond. They walked over to the trash cans to throw the trash away.

"Sam I-" Whatever Alexis was going to say was cut off by a loud shout.

"_Get Down!_" Alex yelled as the force an explosion knocked everyone to the ground.

* * *

Nowhere; that's where Jason was. He was no closer to finding Jerry Jacks than he had been after Nikolas was shot. The money trail seemed to be untraceable; there was no name on the account, only a sequence of numbers and there had been no activity on it since the last transfer. Jason sighed as he looked through financial records of his own.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Carly had slipped into his office.

"There's a surprising amount of paperwork in this business," Jason put the forms down.

"You look like hell," Carly studied her best friend. His hair was longer, slightly unkempt and his faced showed his exhaustion.

"There's a lot going on right now, Carly."

"Plus you and Sam are having problems." He glared at her.

"We're not having problems Carly, she's just been busy."

"Then why haven't you called me to reschedule your romantic evening?" She made herself comfortable in the chair.

"I ended up not needing your help," Carly sported a huge grin on her face.

"Really?" She sat up excitedly, "So when do you want your engagement party to be? I know you want it to be low-key, but I was thinking I could reserve Ball Room-" Carly noticed the look on Jason's face. "She did say 'yes' right?"

"I don't know," Jason said slowly, "Max interrupted us before she could answer and then we were at the hospital with Alexis and Sonny. I left to help Spinelli identify the shooter and she went home with her brother. I haven't been able to see her since." He rubbed his tired eyes. The stress from Jerry coupled with his worry for Sam had left him drained. As much as he wanted nothing more than to take he in his arms and never let go, he had to find Jerry so he could keep her and everyone else safe.

"That was Friday," Carly gave him a confused look.

"She and her brother went out of town for the weekend." Carly rolled his eyes.

"To keep you guys apart," Jason cocked his eye at her, "Come on Jason! This guy comes into town out of nowhere and then all of a sudden, Sam doesn't have time for anyone else? He's trying to take her away from her family, Jase, and if you're not careful, he'll take Sam away from you too."

"That's ridiculous, Carly. Alex is her brother and she's just trying to help him get his life back together. Besides, why would he try to take her away from her family?"

"For years, he was the only one she could count on and now she has her mother and her sisters and you; he doesn't like it. I bet you he feels like he doesn't have a place in her life because she has you guys." Jason shook his head.

"You don't even know him, Carly."

"Neither do you, Jason! How do you know his story was even true? I mean come on, he hit his head, gets amnesia and then all of a sudden, he remembers everything a decade later? How ridiculous is that?"

"How much experience have we had with head trauma, Carly? Me? Michael? We know it happens."

"I'm just saying, Jason. It sounds fishy to me." She resettled in the chair.

"He's Sam's brother. Do you have any idea how much trouble it'll cause if I start looking into his story? Do you remember the whole Kristina thing?" Jason hadn't believed Sam's sister's story about her abuser.

"And you were right, Jason. Sam was too blinded by her love for her sister that she couldn't see the wool being pulled over her eyes. She's too close to him to be objective!"

"Carly," Jason ran his hands through his hair, "She has lost so much in her life. She finally got her brother back and you want me to-" The ringing of his phone interrupted him. "Morgan," he answered it. He closed his eyes and took a long breath as he listened, "I'm on my way," he hung up the phone. "Someone put a bomb in Sam's car. She and her family are on their way to GH." He and Carly both ran out the door.

* * *

Numbness. That's what it felt like for the first few seconds following the explosion but reality soon pervaded everyone's senses. Sam and Mac were the first to respond; they pulled themselves up and raced to the explosion site. Sam's car was gone, replaced by a smoldering pile of debris., the surrounding area was charred and withered. A short distance from the site laid Molly and Kristina, unconscious and unmoving. Alex was a few inches from them, also unconscious with his arm bent at an impossible angle. Tears immediately racked Sam's body as the utter devastation set in. It was quickly overcome by her other instincts; Sam was not the type of person to wallow in grief, nor was she the type to sit helplessly by while something could be done.

"Maxie, call 911," she screamed as she ran towards her siblings. "Robin, Patrick-"

"There's a first aid kit in my trunk. It's got lidocaine and gauze in it." Alex had recovered and was now pulling himself off the ground shakily. Sam ran directly for his car, which was in the driveway around the other side of the house. She quickly got into his trunk and pulled out the kit as well as a few bottles of water. She raced back to the backyard; Robin and Patrick had already begun their examinations of her little sisters; she handed the supplied to the doctors. Alex was now standing up; Mac was helping him to the picnic bench.

"I'm fine," Alex tried to wave Mac off, "Find out where those ambulances are." Mac helped him sit down and then pulled out his phone. Alex took a second to survey the scene: Robin and Patrick were triaging the girls as Sam looked on, Maxie was huddled against Spinelli for comfort, and Alexis was wrapped around her fiancé with a vacant look on her face. The sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance and the putrid scents of burnt rubber and blood invaded his nostrils.

* * *

_AN: Well…. A little more intrigue for you guys. I got into such a great rhythm today! This chapter only took me two hours to write… But that probably has something to do with the fact that I'm writing this instead of my Sociology term paper, which is due today or my History paper, also due today. Anyways, enjoy! Oh and with any luck, I'm posting the next chapter tomorrow. Please review!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**This isn't a new chapter! I had to repost after it was pointed out that I made a serious mistake. Sorry for the confusion but I was really tired when I wrote and poted this originally. But don't worry, I fixed the problem. **_

_AN: So I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, it was really encouraging. I would personally like to thank a few of you specifically:_

**robinscorpiofan****, forever babe, **and** 4mykids3**

_Pretty much every chapter I've written, you guys have reviewed and encouraged me. Thanks and ejnjoy!_

* * *

"Spinelli!" Jason raced into the ER.

"Stone Cold," the young man had a dazed expression on his face, "You have once again come to the aid of-"

"Focus Spinelli," Jason demanded, "What happened?" Spinelli shook his head and swallowed harshly.

"Fair Samantha's sibling had gone to her car to retrieve several items. The Jackal was listening as Maximista and Dr. Robin discussed plans for the pending nuptials and then was thrown to the ground by a fierce explosion. When the Jackal finally came to his senses, chaos had erupted. The young ones were on the ground; they looked so lifeless…" Spinelli trailed off. Jason sighed but tried his best not to get angry; Spinelli was still dazed and in shock from the explosion.

"Are they okay, Spinelli?" Jason tried again slowly.

"The Goddess-In-Training is being examined now and the youngest Davis Daughter was rushed to surgery; they fear she may have internal bleeding."

"What about Sam? Is she alright, Spinelli?" Jason was quickly loosing his patience.

"I'm fine Jason," she said from behind him. He turned and rushed to her.

"I was so worried," he hugged her to him. She stayed limply in his arms for a moment. "How are your sisters?"

"Mom is with Kristina right now and Molly is in surgery still." Jason didn't say anything, he just held her tighter. Jason maneuvered Sam into the chairs of the surgical waiting room.

"Where's Alex?"

"He's being examined by Matt." Jason nodded, not knowing what else to say. What do you say to someone whose entire family was in the hospital at the same time?

* * *

"With all due respect, sir, you should be admitted." Alex sighed in frustration.

"Look Dr…"

"Hunter." Matt supplied.

"Dr. Hunter, I have things that I need to do. So you need to patch me up and let me go."

"Mr. Orsino, I don't think you understand. You were in an explosion, you lost consciousness and you have a pretty bad dislocation of your left shoulder."

"Look champ," Alex stood in front of his doctor, "You're going to pop my shoulder back in, give me a couple of aspirin and then you're going to send me on my merry way."

"Let me at least give you some morphine for the procedure."

"No narcotics." Alex was emphatic. Narcotics dulled reflexes and made rational thought more difficult.

"Sir, I don't think you understand how much this-"

"This isn't my first rodeo, champ." It wasn't the first time he'd dislocated something nor was it the worst injury he'd ever sustained. Throughout his career, Alex had been in many dangerous situations, some of which had pretty violent outcomes. He had long since learned that pain was a state of mind.

"Alright," he called the nurse in to help him, "Ready? One… Two…" There was a sick popping sound; every muscle in Alex's body tensed and he took several long, hard breaths to calm himself. "I'll get you some aspirin and a prescription for an anti-inflammatory." Dr. Hunter nodded to a man in the doorway on his way out.

"Major Orsino?" The man asked.

"Yeah?" Alex didn't even bother to look up.

"I'm Detective Rodriguez from the PCPD. I have a few questions about the incident this afternoon."

"_Incident_," Alex scoffed, "That's a pleasant way of putting it. Ask whatever you need to ask, detective." Alex gestured his hand dismissively.

"I just need to get your account, sir." Alex shrugged his uninjured shoulder and took a steadying breath.

"Molly, Kristina and I were headed to Sam's car to get some stuff out. I was maybe a foot ahead of them and Molly hit the 'unlock' button on the clicker. I threw myself at them and yelled for everyone to get down." Cruz nodded as he wrote the story down in his note pad.

"If you don't mind me asking sir, how did you know there was a bomb?"

"I've been around enough explosions to recognize the sound." He had a slightly faraway look in his eyes. Cruz nodded his head.

"I've got what I need for now, but I'll need you to come down to the station soon to file a formal statement. Thank-you for your time, sir." Cruz left as quietly as he had come in. Almost immediately after Rodriguez had left, Matt returned.

"Alright, I've got everything," he held up the supplies, "I need you to sign these," he handed Alex a clipboard with paperwork on it. "Take the aspirin as needed for pain and if the swelling doesn't go down in a day or two, come back to see me." Matt finished adjusting the sling on Alex's left shoulder.

"You got it, doc." He hopped of the exam table and flew out of the room in search of his sister. When he made it to the surgical waiting room, he found Sam sleeping in Jason's arms and Spinelli holding Maxie's hand in the corner of the room. Patrick and Robin, he assumed, were involved in the girl's cases and Alexis was most likely in with Kristina. He was about to approach Sam when he saw Mac in the hallway to his left.

"How are they?" Mac turned to talk to Alex.

"Kristina has a few second-degree burns; the doctors say there shouldn't be any scarring. And Molly just got out of surgery; no internal bleeding but they had to remove her spleen." Alex looked down guiltily; in his rush to try and save them, he hadn't really thought about the amount of force he used to get them to the ground.

"I didn't mean to throw her that hard,"

"Hey, if you hadn't gotten them on the ground when you did, they could have gotten hit with shrapnel or God knows what else. You saved their lives, Alex."

"They're still in the hospital." Alex took a long, deep breath, "I need to go take care of a few things, get a change of clothes," he gestured to the green scrubs he was wearing; his clothes had been singed during the explosion, "I know you're already keeping an eye on Alexis and the girls, but if you could keep an eye on Sam too. I know she has Jason here but," he trailed off. Mac nodded.

"Knowing that Jason Morgan was looking after my sister wouldn't exactly be comforting to me either. Go take care of whatever you need to take care of and I'll be here to keep an eye on everyone." Alex nodded and headed back towards the elevators. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"I'm done playing the 'watch and wait game'. Find him, **now**." He put his phone back in his pocket and began to pull the sling off of his arm as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

Jason ran his hand gently through Sam's hair again; she had been asleep for nearly two hours. The stress and the events of the day had left her emotionally and physically exhausted. After finding out the status of her sisters, Kristina was resting in her room and Molly was in surgical recovery, she had fallen asleep in Jason's arms. He watched as she slept restlessly, tossing and fidgeting every so often on the plastic bench. Normally, Sam was a sound sleeper; although she was always ready to wake at the first sign of trouble. But he knew that images from today would plague her dreams for a while to come. The ringing of his phone pulled him from his thoughts. He gently pulled himself from Sam's grasp and moved away to take the call.

"Morgan," he answered.

"_Our source in the PCPD just got me the report on the bomb in Sam's car_," Cody's voice began without preamble. The man had proven himself to be very loyal in the past so when Jason took over the business from Sonny, he had tasked Cody to be his enforcer. He wasn't quite as menacing as Jason could be, but he took orders well and always got the job done.

"Do they have any leads?"

"_They matched the blasting caps and the chemical make-up to another bombing in Port Charles. The MetroCourt bombing back in '06._" Jason's blood ran cold, "_Boss_?"

"Get Bernie and Spinelli to the office, now." He hung up the phone. The same type of bomb that was used to blow up the hotel had been placed in Sam's car. The use of the same bomb meant that the same person was responsible: Jerry Jacks.

"What's going on?" Sam put her arms around his waist from behind.

"I have to go." His tone was devoid of emotion, setting off warning bells in her head.

"What's wrong, Jason?" She moved around him so that she was staring him in the face. He pulled himself out her grasp lightly.

"It's business; I have to go take care of it." He could barely keep the self-loathing out of his voice.

"That's bullshit, Jason." She cupped his face with her hands and pulled it near hers, "_What happened?_"

"It's my fault," his voice was barely a whisper and his eyes refused to meet hers.

"_What_ is your fault?"

"I couldn't find him, stop him, and now it's too late; he's caused so much damage," he shook his head in frustration, "Jerry did this to get to me. He blew up your car and put your sisters in the hospital because of me." Tears started welling Sam's eyes.

"You don't know that, Jason." The thought had crossed her mind but she didn't want to seriously consider it. He pulled away from her hands.

"They matched the bombs; it was the same style that he used in the MetroCourt." Sam couldn't breathe. Her sisters were lying in hospital beds because of her connection to Jason. It was bad enough that Jason's enemies tried to hurt him through her, but the fact that her little sisters ended up being collateral damage had made things so much worse.

"What are we going to do?" Jason looked up at her and shook his head.

"You need to focus on the girls, Sam. I need to fix this myself."

"Don't Jason. Don't shut me out." She moved closer to him and cupped his face with her hands again, "We can handle this together." He pulled away from her again.

"You're sisters are in the hospital; your cousin was shot and your mother could have been killed, all because you're with me."

"It's my choice to make, Jason." She could tell he wasn't really listening to her, "I can't keep doing this. I can't keep fighting for my place in your life." She stared intently at him; his shoulders were sagged and his eyes still refused to meet hers.

"I have to take care of this, Sam." He turned and headed for the elevators. Sam tried her best to compose herself, trying to stop the tears and regulate her erratic breathing. After several long minutes, she turned to find Alexis standing a few feet away. Her mother's eyes were red and full emotions.

"How are the girls?" was the first coherent question that Sam was able to form. Alexis simply gave her a vacant expression in response. "Mom?" Alexis' silence was increasing her daughter's fear. "Did something happen?"

"They're in the hospital," Alexis replied absently, "My babies are in the hospital. They were nearly killed in an explosion that was meant for someone else." Her mother's breathing began to quicken.

"Mom," Sam realized that Alexis must have heard at least the end of her conversation with Jason. She now knew exactly who planted the bomb and why.

"You're an adult, Sam; I have no say over your life. If you insist on putting yourself in danger, that's your prerogative."

"What are you saying?" Sam's voice was void of any emotion.

"It's the only way," Alexis kept saying to herself, "You constantly put yourself in danger, Sam, and I can't allow my girls to be in that situation anymore." Sam took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Are you asking me to stay away from Molly and Kristina?" Her heart clenched.

"I need them to be safe. It's what's best for everyone." Alexis stated. Sam's while body went numb.

"Okay," came her strangled response. Alexis nodded briskly to herself and then returned to Kristina and Molly's room. Sam stood in the waiting room for what seemed like forever before Alex returned.

"Sam?" His voice was full of concern. He was at her side instantly; maneuvering her into the first empty exam room he found. "What happened?" When he left, the girls were doing fine. She continued to stare at a fixed spot on the floor. "Sam," he lifted her chin with his finger so that their eyes were meeting, "What's going on?" She seemed to finally register his presence.

"Alex?" she asked timidly; he nodded.

"I'm here, kiddo." She immediately flung herself into his embrace, great sobs wracking her small frame. He gently pulled them both to the ground and let her cry, stroking her back comfortingly the entire time. When Sam was finally done crying a while later, she sat up and faced her brother. She took a steadying breath.

"I need to find Jerry Jacks," she stated. Knowing that Sam wasn't going to discuss the events that prompted her crying jag, Alex allowed the change of subject.

"That's not necessary."

"The hell it isn't, Alex. He tried to kill me!" He sighed.

"I assure you, Sam. It isn't necessary." The look on his face told her everything she needed to know. Alex was beyond furious because of the bombing and he wasn't the type of person to stand back and let someone hurt his family.

"Alex," she shook her head, "When his body shows up, I'm-"

"I'm more than a little wounded, Sam," he cut her off, "Do you really think that I would be that careless. I didn't hide the body in a pine bearing or throw it in the ocean," he looked her in the eyes, "No one will _ever_ find his body." Sam got up and started pacing; she stopped and gave her brother a long look.

"If you already took care of Jerry, why are you still so worried?" The concern in his eyes was unmistakable. "You don't think the treat is gone." Sam realized.

"Do you?" Alex got up to face her.

"Jerry was going after Jason and Sonny because of Carly and Jax. He wanted revenge for his little brother." Alex tilted his head at her.

"If you really believe that, then I seriously miscalculated your prowess as an investigator," Sam gave him a questioning glance, "Be objective; run through the incidents."

"Jerry missed Jason and shot Nikolas-"

"I said 'be objective'. Don't use his ideas. In its simplest form, what happened?" Sam thought for a moment.

"Nikolas was shot," she looked to Alex for confirmation; she continued when he nodded, "Alexis and Sonny were shot at and then my sisters got caught in an explosion."

"What do the majority of those people have in common?" He was trying to lead her in the right direction. Her eyes lit up as she realized the answer.

"Me. They all have me in common." He tilted his head slightly.

"Well yeah, they do have you in common, but what do _you_ have in common with _them_?"

"We're all related." She smacked her forehead in frustration. _Why didn't I see this before? _Nikolas _had_ been the intended target in the shooting, as was Alexis; and the bomb had been placed in her car was meant for her entire family. "But no one's been killed," something was off, "And why would Jerry go after my family?"

"I was curious about that too, so I asked him. Apparently, he was being blackmailed," Sam nodded in realization.

"Jacks. They threatened his brother." Jerry Jacks may have been many morally repugnant things, but he was definitely a loving, protective older brother. Jerry had proven countless times that he would do anything for his baby brother.

"Not a bad strategy. Even wretches like Jerry Jacks have family to lose."Alex turned to face Sam, "And as for the other part, think kiddo." Sam started pacing, wracking her brains for clues. She stopped suddenly.

"_Helena_," Sam whispered. Alex applauded lightly, "Someone's going after the Cassadines."

"That's what I figure anyways," Alex leaned against the wall of the exam room.

"But why kill Helena and just wound everyone else."

"Think back; how was she killed?" Sam rounded on him.

"Someone stabbed her in the heart," Alex raised his eyebrows, urging her to continue, "Which means Jerry probably didn't kill her. Whoever did, knew her; it was personal."

"Someone hated Helena enough to stab her in the heart and then send some serious warnings to the remaining Cassadines."

"But who?" Sam resumed her pacing.

"I haven't quite figured that one out yet, but I assume it started with Helena," Sam nodded in agreement.

"This feels personal. We need to look into her past, track down some of her enemies," Sam sighed. In her long, miserable life, Helena Cassadine had made many enemies. People she blackmailed, family member of those she had killed or kidnapped, the list was endless, "This could take forever, Alex," he nodded.

"I was thinking about that. You up for a trip?" Sam smiled at him.

"Always."

* * *

_AN II: So I'm reasonably sure most of you can figure out where I'm going with this by now and as for the rest, I guess you'll be in for a surprise… Also, I need a nickname for Alex. Jason and Spinelli will be discussing him a lot in the chapters to come and I need a 'Spinelli' for him. I have one in mind but I want to see if anyone has a better idea. Anyways, please review…_


	15. Chapter 15

Jason stared at the Port Charles horizon from his terrace. It was a bright, sunny July day. At nine am, the city was just beginning to come alive. Jason sighed and took another large gulp of his coffee. He had screwed up. He had let his insecurities and his fears get the better of him, and he had reacted without thinking things through. Instead of being there for Sam and letting her be there for him, he had shut down on her. And now she wasn't taking his calls. After closing himself in his office last night while Spinelli, Bernie and Cody worked to find Jerry, Jason had taken time to process everything. People he cared about had gotten hurt because of his business, again. And once again, he had reacted poorly.

The first thoughts that ran through his head when Spinelli had called were of the last time it had happened, when Sam was shot in his arms. Just like the last time, he couldn't think and process things rationally. His fear and his grief had overtaken him. When he had gotten to the hospital to find Sam unharmed, relief flooded through his body. Guilt soon replaced it as he learned that he was still responsible for her sister's injuries. Instead of leaning on Sam for solace, he had reverted into himself and hurt her in the process. He had once again left her crying in a hospital and he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to fix it this time.

Jason tried to shake the thoughts from head. He went to take another sip of coffee only to find it empty again; he was on his third cup. He had been too busy working to sleep; he also didn't want to sleep without Sam by his side. He made his way to the kitchen for another cup when Max poked his head in the doorway.

"Ms. Davis is here to see you," Jason nodded at his guard. Max opened the door to let her in.

"Are the girls okay?" Jason could think of no other reason for her to voluntarily be in his home.

"They're recovering. Kristina is being released today and Molly should be able to come home tomorrow." Jason nodded and waited for Alexis to get to the point.

"Did you need something?" She shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

"I need to see Sam." Jason raised an eyebrow at her.

"She's not-"

"Look, I know she doesn't want to see me right now, but I have to. Last night, I was so out of line and I…" Alexis trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"She's not here, Alexis." He tried again. Rambling was definitely an inherited trait in the Davis family.

"She's not answering my calls. Her phone keeps going straight to voicemail." Jason scratched his head; apparently he wasn't the only one Sam was avoiding.

"Did you try her apartment?"

"I knocked for twenty minutes straight. I even used the key she gave me. She wasn't there." Jason put his empty coffee mug down on the table.

"Was Alex there?" She tried to remember.

"I don't think he was. I didn't really check but no one answered when I called out her name." Jason nodded.

"She's probably just working right now. When I see her I'll tell her you stopped by." Alexis sighed in defeat and left.

"Spinelli," Jason called up the staircase. A few moments later, the young computer hacker came barreling down the stairs.

"The Jackal heeds his mater's call." Jason shook his head at Spinelli. He had obviously just woken up; he was still wearing his Batman pajama pants.

"I need you to find Sam."

"Is Fair Samantha missing?" He was instantly alert.

"I don't know," Jason went back to his coffee mug, "Her phone is off and Alexis can't find her." He refilled his mug. He purposely left himself out of the equation.

"Is there reason to suspect foul play?" Jason sighed.

"More likely, she just needed some time to herself after her fight with Alexis. But with Jerry on the loose, I need to be sure." That sounded convincing enough. As long as he was checking up on her because of the potential danger, he didn't have to admit that she was likely running away from him.

"The Ace of Cyberspace is on the trail." Spinelli immediately ran up the stairs to start.

* * *

"I am so tired," Sam complained as they entered the hotel suite, "I need a nap." She headed to the room on the left.

"Nope," Alex grabbed her arm to stop her, "It's just after four. You need to take a shower and we can head out to dinner." He put his stuff down on the floor of the living room.

"I barely slept on the plane," she whined, "I'm exhausted."

"I understand, but if you don't assimilate to the time zone as quickly as possible; otherwise, the jet lag will take you down. No time to waste, we have to hit the tarmac running." They had left at about eleven; Greece was ahead of New York by seven hours, plus the eleven hours it had taken to fly there directly, they had lost an entire day already.

"I hate flying through time zones. It gets so confusing." Crossing time zones was much easier in a boat. It took longer to get from place to place and it was easier to keep track of the time as she travelled. Sam went to her bathroom to take a shower while Alex did the same in his.

The trip to Greece had happened quickly; Alex already had bags packed for both of them and a private plane waiting at a private airstrip. Using some of his 'connections', he was able to secure a private landing area and transportation to a secluded hotel. She had called Maxie from the plane to let her know she was out of town but refused to say where they were going. They didn't want to be tracked; they hadn't used passports or credit cards and her cell phone was left somewhere in the wreckage at Alexis' house. _Alexis._

A hurt was unleashed in her heart at the thought of her mother. She was so convinced that Sam was the danger to Molly and Kristina; in reality, they were all fair game because of their Cassadine blood. Sam shook her head. She couldn't afford to waste time on her mother, she needed to identify the threat and take care of it. Sam undressed quickly and stepped into the large shower. After drying off and dressing, she went out into the living room to find Alex. He was sitting on the couch, his head down in his hands.

"You alright?" She approached cautiously.

"Yeah," his voice was soft, "I'm just tired." He took a deep breath and stood up. He stretched his back and his neck, "You ready?" Sam smiled.

"Yeah." She was grateful that her brother was back in her life. He was a constant in her life and she had missed him. Alex nodded went to his luggage; he pulled a gun out of the bag, checked the clip and the chamber, placed it in the waistband of his slacks and fixed his shirt over the top of it. He reached into the bag and pulled another out, handing it to Sam. She gave him a questioning glance.

"Beretta 8000, right?" She nodded and looked at the gun in her hand. It was her usual type, light-weight and compact enough for her but still packed a powerful punch. It looked the same, but somehow felt different. She checked the clip and loaded the chamber, stopping to give it a weird glance.

"It feels different."

"It's got a few modifications." He nodded.

"Like?"

"Modified trigger assembly requires less pressure and time between shots, the housing is more water-resistant and the grips are better. It's just like mine," he pulled his gun out, a Sig Sauer 9mil.

"Not a Beretta guy?" She joked as she tucked the gun behind her back. He shrugged.

"Sig Sauer is the standard side-arm for law enforcement and military."

"Whatever works for you," she grabbed her coat and headed for the door but stopped short, "How did you get all of this?"

"The guns?" Sam nodded, "I met up with an old friend of mine." He shrugged.

"And he just had these lying around?" She gave him an incredulous look.

"Well technically, yes. Ash is an arms dealer; he and I go way back. He's also a gun smith, does all the modifications himself." Sam scoffed.

"You're friends with an arms dealer?" Alex gave her a pointed look.

"You're boyfriend is a mob kingpin." She rolled her eyes at him and opened the front door.

* * *

"What have you found?" Jason asked as Spinelli came down the stairs.

"The Jackal has been unsuccessful as of yet," the young man looked down in disappointment, "Fair Samantha has used neither her credit cards nor her cell phone since yesterday morning."

"Did you check travel activity?"

"There have been no plane, train or bus tickets and her passport has not been flagged at any aiport." Jason sighed. Sam obviously didn't want to be found.

"All right, we need to look-"

"What did you do?" Maxie demanded as she stormed into the penthouse. Jason pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Whatever it is, we don't have time for it." Jason started to walk away from her.

"Oh yeah leave, just like Sam did," he turned on her immediately.

"You talked to Sam?" His blues eyes were intense.

"She called me earlier." Maxie folded her arms over her chest, holding her ground against him.

"Where is she?" He demanded.

"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me," Maxie whined, "I can't believe she wouldn't give me, her best friend, any details. I mean-"

"Maxie!" Jason's patience was reaching its limit. "What did she say?" He barked out every syllable.

"She wanted me to tell you that 'her leaving has nothing to do with you and that she'll be back as soon as she's finished.'"

"Finished what?" Maxie shrugged.

"How am I supposed to know?" she started pacing, "I mean first, Sam wakes me up at six and then Mac starts banging on my door ten minutes later looking for her."

"Mac was looking for Sam?"

"Yeah, apparently Alexis went off on Sam last night about how dangerous her life is and how it's not safe for the girls to be around her. Supposedly, she's really sorry and just wants the chance to apologize but, personally, I don't think she deserves…" Jason had long since learned to tune Maxie out and retreated back to the balcony.

Jason sighed in frustration; both he and Alexis had chosen the worst possible moments to let their insecurities take over. Sam was already distraught and they had both pushed her closer and closer to her breaking point. _No wonder she doesn't want to be found_.

"Spinelli," he called over his shoulder.

"Yes Stone Cold?" He stood up immediately.

"We need to find Jerry."

"But what of our search for Fair Samantha?" He was worried for his friend.

"Sam knows how to take care of herself. Besides, I'm sure Alex will keep an eye on her." He could barely keep the resentment out of his voice. Before her brother came back to life, Sam was _his_ partner. They tackled everything together… Well almost everything…

* * *

"Are you ready to talk about it?" Alex took a bite of his Spanakopita. Sam grimaced.

"That looks disgusting." She took a bite of her own burek. They essentially had the same meal, vegetables and cheese wrapped in phyllo-dough although Sam's had meat in it.

"That's just because you don't like spinach. And stop deflecting," he sipped his water.

"Alexis wants me to stay away from the girls." She admitted after a long silence. Alex was patient and let her collect the rest of her thoughts. "She thinks that my life is dangerous and that I'm going to get them killed." Alex stayed silent. "Is that what you think?" She was getting slightly hysterical.

"I think that the world is a dangerous place. Unfortunately, good people die all the time; there's no real reason for it, it just happens."

"That wasn't my question," she stared him directly in the eyes, "Do you think I'm going to get my sisters killed?"

"I think that they're children, and they are naïve. Unfortunately, that naiveté can get them killed."

"I have a dangerous life. I'm a PI, my boyfriend is a notorious mobster. Bullets, bombs and dangling from rooftops are everyday occurrences in my world. Is it even fair for me to subject them to that?" Sam's eyes pleaded with his for an answer.

"That's a choice you have to make. You can either be miserable and love them from afar or you can be in their lives and cherish every moment you have with them." Sam was silent for a moment, considering his words.

"I feel like I have to fight for my place in their lives. I mean with Alexis, I always feel like she's keeping me at arm's length. And Jason-" She stopped abruptly.

"I kind of figured it was more than just your mother." He gestured for her to continue.

"Jason," Sam felt slightly uncomfortable talking about this with Alex, "He has this way of loving a person so much that they just get consumed by it. He loves them so much and he never wants them to hurt so he jumps in and tries to fix things for them but he ends up just taking control. He doesn't understand that people have to make their own choices, have to learn from their own mistakes."

"You were shot. Apparently _you_ didn't learn from yours." She looked up at him sharply.

"That wasn't his fault. A psycho-path went after him and I got hurt."

"That wasn't the only time," he reminded her. Franco had kidnapped her for leverage and on more than one occasion she had been terrorized to send him a message.

"I love him and I _know_ he's worth the risk," her voice had raised in volume, "It's my choice to make," she added in a quieter tone.

"I think you've just answered your own question." They both sat quietly contemplating their conversation. "They do it because they love you. No matter how skewed the logic, their actions come from a place of love."

"Yeah because it's so much better to live without someone you love." Alex shrugged.

"It hurts less when you lose them." Sam scoffed.

"No it doesn't. It hurts just as much and then you're stuck regretting all the time you didn't spend with them." Alex nodded.

"Probably a conversation you should be having with them." Sam shook her head.

"I hate when you do that." Alex raised his eyebrows.

"Do what?"

"You never give me the answers; you make me get them on my own." Alex laughed.

"You already know the answers; I'm just helping you realize that."

"We could save a lot of time if you just tell me the answers."

"Where's the fun in that?"

* * *

_AN: I think Sam needed to figure out some stuff on her own before she can really function in a relationship with anyone, even her mother. I'm not kicking Jason out of Sam's life and I assure you, their conversation will be coming up soon. I want them to be together, they just need to get over themselves. Also, I know that Alex comes off as over-bearing; he is supposed to be. Don't worry, that conversation will be coming up soon too. Reviews are really appreciated. _


	16. Chapter 16

"So where do we start?" Sam called over her shoulder as she put her breakfast dishes in the sink.

"Well one of the benefits of your family being Russian nobility is that there are bound to be at least a few biographies that we can look at." Alex entered the living room wearing a dark grey suit and a light blue dress shirt with an open collar. Sam gave him a funny look. "What?" He adjusted the cuffs of his shirt.

"I don't think I've seen you in a suit more than a dozen times in my life." He usually wore a collared shirt and a pair of jeans, on some occasions he would trade the jeans in for nice slacks.

"Suits are more of a work uniform for me, but I own a lot of them." Sam looked down at her own outfit, black slacks and a white blouse.

"Is there some kind of spy dress code I was un-aware of?"

"No, just my personal preference," he finished adjusting his jacket, "We're meeting with the curator of the library in an hour." Sam nodded.

"So do we have a cover?"

"We are historians who are researching the flight of Russian nobles after the October Revolution in 1917. I figure that's about when your family left St. Petersburg anyways." Sam shook her head.

"It's ridiculous that you know that."

"I do have a master's degree in world history. I know a lot of interesting stuff." Sam grabbed her jacket from the closet by the door.

"Are you bringing your gun?" She tucked her own pistol behind her back.

"Yeah. I feel kind of naked without it." Sam nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

"Are you serious?" Sam questioned as she eyed the multiple tomes the curator had procured for them.

"You don't have to read the whole thing, just look in the index for 'Helena'." Alex pulled a book off the top of the stack.

"Do you really think that whatever we're looking for is going to be in some dusty old book?" Alex sighed at her impatience.

"You can't close an avenue until you've fully explored it," Sam sighed loudly.

"Wouldn't it be faster to just look it up on the internet? I mean, all of the books are going to say the same thing."

"Contrary to popular belief, not every answer can be found on the internet; but knock yourself out," he pointed to the computer terminal. Sam walked over to the keyboard and began a Jackal search. A few minutes later, Alex was reaching for another book when Sam stopped him.

"How about The True Heir- A Cassadine Legacy by Thaddeus Vangellis?"

"What?" He abandoned his search.

"There's a book called _The True Heir_; it was privately published in 1969." Sam pulled the book's information up on the screen, "I can't find any copies though."

"Why read the book when you can speak with the author? You think you can find him?" Sam smirked.

"Oh, so now you _want_ me to use the internet?" Alex rolled his eyes.

"If I concede to your superior cyber-sleuthing skills, will you do what I ask?" Sam shrugged and performed a Jackal search for their author.

"I have one Thaddeus Vangellis. He lives in Sparta, Greece. How far is that?" Alex closed his eyes to think.

"About 250 km. I'll get a car," he pulled out his phone and began dialing, "If we leave soon, we can be there before dinner."

* * *

"Well that was," Alex searched for the right word.

"Unexpected," Sam offered. Alex nodded in agreement. "It makes sense, though. Adultery and murder are par for the course for the Cassadines. It just never occurred to me that…" Sam couldn't finish her sentence.

"Given Mikkos' numerous affairs, it's kind of understandable that Helena would have one of her own." Sam shook her head.

"It wasn't just some affair," they began walking back to the car, "Thaddeus was her confidant. He knew every heinous act she committed and he didn't care. He only exposed the secret to try and break Helena and Mikkos up."

"He wanted Helena to himself,"

"Thaddeus ended up signing his own death certificate." The Thaddeus Vangellis that they had tracked down ended up being the grandson of the author of the book, but the entire story had been passed down through the years.

Helena was the love of Thaddeus' life; they were involved for years. She confided everything in him. She loved and trusted Thaddeus; told him of every one of Mikkos' affairs and how she had dealt with them. At some point, Helena had even told him of the existence of another Cassadine heir that she had 'dealt with'. Apparently before his marriage to Helena, Mikkos engaged in a brief affair with one of the maids on the island. He never knew it, but she had ended up pregnant; Valentin Cassadine was the first son born to the oldest Cassadine son, the true heir to the legacy. Helena had dealt with the revelation in her usual manner, unwilling to weaken her son's claim to power. The relationship between Thaddeus and Helena progressed over time, but Helena was never willing to leave Mikkos, or the power that the Cassadines offered; not even for someone she cared for deeply. In a desperate attempt to sway her once and for all, Thaddeus wrote and published the story of Valentin Cassadine. It wasn't a popular novel, less than fifty copies had been produced but it definitely caught Mikkos' eye. Instead of leaving Helena because of her disgrace, he simply killed Thaddeus to assert his power.

"What's our next move?" Alex was concentrating on the road, trying to formulate an answer.

"We need more information on Valentin. We don't know anything about him or why he's suddenly coming after your family now." Sam nodded.

"Jason and Spinelli will be a lot of help," she said absently. Alex immediately pulled off to the side of the road, "Why are you stopping?"

"I don't understand why you're including him. It has nothing to do with him." Alex was shaking his head.

"I'm including him because he is my partner. He may be an ass but I can't do this without him."

"Because he was so much help before." Alex was pissed. Even after every bad choice that Jason made, Sam was still letting him back in.

"He was wrong, it happens," Sam was getting just as angry, "My God, you're just like him." Alex stopped suddenly.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are, Alex. Jason has these qualities that I love, that make him a great person, but they also drive me crazy; you have them too. You guys are loyal to a fault and you have this way of loving people so much that they get consumed by it."

"I don't…" Alex was trying to work on a response.

"I know you don't do it on purpose, Alex. You practically raised me. When I was hurt, you made it stop and when I was sad, you made me happy. But I'm not a kid anymore, I have to protect myself and make myself happy. I know you're trying to let go but…" Sam trailed off to regroup her thoughts, "You can't fight my battles for me anymore, Alex. As much as I liked having you there, whisking me away when I got hurt, it has to stop. You're letting me run from my problems, and I can't do that anymore. I have to be strong enough to face them."

"I lost so much, Sam. You're life, my life, Danny's life," Alex shook away his tears lightly, "I just-I can't lose you again."

"I'm not going away, Alex. I'm growing up- You have to let me grow up sometime." Alex nodded.

"Do you really think that he can be the person you need him to be- the partner you need him to be?"

"I know he can. Jason and I have a lot of work to do, but I know that we can do- together."

"Okay. I'll back off. I'll let you and Jason handle-" Sam cut him off.

"That's not what I'm saying either, Alex," she turned so that she was facing him completely, "I want all of us to work on this- _together_. You, Jason and Spinelli are my family, there is no one that I trust more than you guys. You were right before, I can't keep splitting my time between you all- we need to work together." Alex was silent for a moment.

"Okay," ne nodded his head, "We- _your family_- can do this."

* * *

_AN: Short chapter, I know but rest assured that I'm already working on my next one. It has been pretty difficult to write so far but I'm hoping it'll turn out well. Anyways, please read and review. _


	17. Chapter 17

"Hey," Jason smiled at the person on the other side of the door. It had been three days since he had last seen her.

"Hey," he went to pull Sam into a hug but hesitated, unsure of her reaction. She closed the distance between them, "I'm sorry," he said after a minute, "I was-"

"We have a lot to talk about, Jason." She released him and made her way over to the couch. Jason made his way over to the couch and sat next to her. "When we got back together, we talked a little bit about the past and all of the mistakes; we agreed that _this time_ would be different. But here we are, falling into the same patterns Jase, and I can't do it."

"Sam I-"

"Let me talk," Sam stopped him, "It started with Kristina, honestly. My little sister was in trouble and I was too close to the situation to be objective. You didn't think she was telling the truth and instead of trying to talk to me, you and _Carly_ go behind my back and try to fix things. And I know I was wrong, I admit that, but it doesn't change the fact that you were trying to fix things _for me_, regardless of what I wanted."

"Sam," Jason sighed, trying to find the right words, "I didn't know what else to do. You were so close to the situation and you kept reliving your own experiences; it was impossible to get you to see things without hurting you."

"It hurt so much more to know that you were going _around_ me to do something, Jason. I agree that I would have been angry, but maybe I wouldn't have been so blindsided by the truth. I count on you to be honest with me, Jason, always. Especially after last time." The statement hung in the air; they had never really discussed the past before, "You and I are trying to build this new life together but we can't seem to get away from the past. I don't know what to do."

"You said you didn't want to talk about the past," Jason reminded her.

"I know, and I still don't really but I don't think we can move forward until we deal with the past." They both sat silently, not knowing how to start the conversation.

"I loved you, so much more than I ever thought I was capable of," Sam started after a while, "I built my entire life around you and you ended up letting me down more than anyone ever has. I just don't understand, was I that easy to replace?"

"No," Jason was vehement, "Sam I never tried to replace you I-"

"That's what it felt like: I was broken and the second you found someone who could give you what you wanted I was unnecessary." They weren't yelling; they were far enough removed from the situation to be objective about it.

"When I found out about Jake, the first thing that I wanted to do was tell you."

"Then why didn't you?"

"I don't know," Jason paused, knowing that his response wasn't good enough, "Everything was happening so fast. I thought I was going to die in that elevator. I was never going to see you or Carly or Michael again; and then all of a sudden, I was going to live and I was going to have a child- without you. Before I could even process everything, you had told me that we couldn't have children because of a bullet from one of my enemies.

"Liz knew how dangerous my life was and she knew how easy it was for people to get hurt around me. She asked me to stay away and to let Lucky raise the baby. All I could think of was you lying in the hospital, slipping away from me. I didn't know what else to do; staying away from my child was the only way I knew to keep him safe." Sam shook her head.

"But _she_ didn't stay away! She was there all the time, sharing your confidences and your life! Do you have any idea what it was like to walk into my own home and have everyone stop talking? Knowing that you were going through something and not being able to help?"

"I didn't know what to do. I was being pulled in so many different directions." Sam stared down at her shoes.

"I didn't exactly help with that. I was trying so hard to get you to open up to me and I think I ended up pushing you further and further away, especially after I found out about Jake. Knowing that you were lying to me hurt more than I could have possibly imagined. I don't know, something just snapped. I wasn't me anymore and I know that nothing I do will _ever_ make up for what I did but I-"

"Sam, I understand," Jason cupped her face with his hand, "You're whole world was falling down around you and Jake played a big role in that. I understand."

"Jake was a baby, Jason. He wasn't responsible for what the adults in his life did. I still can't believe what I did."

"You froze, Sam. With everything going on, it's completely understandable."

"But I should have told you what happened. No matter how mad I was at you or Elizabeth, it was inexcusable. And then sending thugs after them in the park? I-" Sam didn't have the words to apologize. "I don't understand how you can look at me sometimes," she admitted weakly.

"I was furious," Jason admitted, "I didn't understand how you could do that. I was so focused on my own pain and guilt that I couldn't see that you were drowning too. And threatening your life." Jason shook his head, "Sam, I didn't mean it; I never could have done it. I was so focused on my own life that I couldn't see what was happening to yours. There is nothing I regret more than that."

"I don't." Jason gave her a confused look, "I was out of control, so completely focused on revenge and my hurt and my anger that I didn't care about the collateral damage. I honestly think that if you hadn't shocked me out of it, I wouldn't be who I am today."

"But-"

"When you left, after our conversation," Jason scoffed, "I realized that I was a stranger. I didn't recognize myself anymore. I was bitter and angry and I was vindictive. I couldn't go on like that, living to hurt you and Elizabeth- I had to live for myself. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do- piece myself back together- but I am so much stronger than I was before. And I can't let you compromise that, Jason."

"I would never do that to you, Sam." She shook her lightly.

"But you are- and you have before. I gave up so much of myself to be with you before and I won't do it this time. I love you and I want to build a life _with_ you- not around you. You are the best partner I have ever had, in every way, but sometimes you don't treat me like an equal. You make these decisions for me and then just expect that I will fall in line- regardless of what I want."

"I will do anything in my power to keep my family safe. I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to you." Sam took Jason's hands in hers.

"Do you really think that I could? I would be so lost without you." The tears that she had been holding back began to roll down her cheeks.

"My life, my world, are so dangerous. It would be so much easier if I could live without you, but I can't."

"Life is hard Jason and we all have choices to make. So you need to decide: you can push me away and watch me live my life _without_ you or you can be there- everyday- and make a life _with_ me."

"With you," Jason turned his body so that he was facing Sam and cupped her face with his hands, "I want a life with you- forever." He brushed away her tears with his thumbs. He moved closer and kissed her mouth softly. She pulled away after a moment.

"Ask me again," Jason smiled brightly as understanding set in.

"Sam, I want you to be my partner for the rest of our lives; will you marry me?"

"Yes," she replied simply. Jason smiled brightly and reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a diamond ring, he had been carrying the ring since he had proposed. He slipped it onto her left hand and kissed her sweetly on the mouth.

* * *

"_Where in the hell is it_?" Alex asked himself aloud. The socket that he was currently looking for was nowhere to be found. He was in his garage, elbow deep in motor oil, putting some finishing touches on a car.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" It took a great amount of effort for him not to jump in surprise. He was distracted- too distracted. Apparently anyone could sneak up on him.

"I can't imagine what you have to say to me," he went to the work bench and shut off the music. He grabbed a rag to clean his hands and turned to face Alexis.

"You and Sam are back from wherever you went," she commented.

"As is evident by my presence in front of you." His tone was especially cold and formal. She diverted her eyes.

"This is a nice car," she ran her hand along the side of the car.

"Yes it is." Alex knew she wanted something and he wasn't about to make it easy for her. He resumed his search for the tool.

"I need to see Sam."

"I am certainly not stopping you." He didn't even bother to look at her as he spoke.

"I haven't been able to find her and she hasn't returned any of my phone calls."

"You are more than welcome to search the premises but I assure you, she is not here." Alexis sighed in frustration. "What is it that you want from me, ma'am?" He finally found the socket.

"I want you to tell me where Sam is!" He moved to the front of the car and began tightening a loose bolt.

"I would imagine that she is working, or quite possibly with Jason. If that is the case, I would not recommend interrupting." Alex still felt the embarrassment from the last time she had interrupted the couple. "But when I see her next, I will relay the message that you are looking for her," Alexis began to storm away, "What do you want from her?" Alex had stopped his work and walked around to where she stood.

"I want to apologize!"

"That's not what I meant. What do you _want_ from her?"

"I don't want anything from her!" she was offended by the implication, "She is my daughter, my oldest daughter. I missed so much of her life already."

"So you want to be her mother?" Alex clarified.

"Yes,"

"Then _act_ like it. Stop pushing her away and making her feel like she doesn't belong in your perfect little family!" Alex took a second to calm down, "Whether you want Sam in or out of your lives, whatever you decide, she'll respect it; but you need to make a decision and stick with it." He walked over to the bench and turned the music back on.

* * *

"I really like it," Sam was staring down at the ring on her finer- the only thing that she was actually wearing. It was a platinum band with three stones; one large diamond in the middle and two smaller on either side.

"It's your ring." The ring that Jason had given Sam when they were engaged the first time.

"No it isn't," she scrutinized the ring. It looked similar, but then again, most engagement rings tended to look the same.

"The stones are," she shifted so that she was facing him instead of lying on top of him and pulled the blanket around them tighter, "I wanted to use your old ring because it has a lot of good memories attached to it, but it also has some bad ones. I ended up having the stones reset and put on another band."

"It's like our relationship. We're the same people we've always been; we just have a new foundation." Jason smiled at the thought.

"That's basically what Carly said when I told her." Sam laughed.

"You went to Carly for help with my engagement ring? I bet she loved that," Carly had spent a lot of time and energy trying to ensure that Jason would always be devoted to her and her alone.

"She was really supportive actually. She's the one who gave me the idea about resetting the ring," Sam gave him a skeptical look, "You and she may not be friends, but she respects your place in my life." Sam nodded.

"It's taken me a while, but I respect hers too." Jason smiled; his best friend and his fiancé were much more alike than either of them would ever admit. They moment was interrupted by Spinelli coming in through the front door.

"Stone Cold I-" Spinelli immediately clamped his hands over his eyes. "The Jackal's sincerest apologies to-"

"Just go back outside for a few minutes," Sam said through her laughter. The young man nodded and made his way back to the door clumsily, never removing his hands from his eyes. "I guess that's life setting in, huh?" Jason groaned and began to locate their clothes which had been strewn throughout the living room.

"Back to the real world," he pulled his jeans on after handing Sam her clothes. After they had finished dressing, Jason called Spinelli back into the penthouse. The young man entered very hesitantly.

"We're decent, I promise." Spinelli smiled at the sight: Fair Samantha and Stone Cold were together once again.

"We need to get back to work," Jason shifted quickly into business mode, "We need to track Jerry down, now." Realization came flooding to Sam immediately. She had been so caught up trying to fix their relationship that they had yet to discuss what Sam and Alex had learned.

"About that," they turned to meet Sam's gaze, "Jerry Jacks is dead; Alex killed him. He was never after you. He was going after the Cassadines." Jason and Spinelli gave her a dumbstruck look as she began to explain everything that they had learned.

"So you were in Greece?" Sam nodded.

"The whole time. We did a bit of research and then we talked to Thaddeus. Now we have to investigate Valentin, find out where he is and why he's doing this."

"Okay," Jason seemed to recover first, "Spinelli I want-"

"That _us_, includes Alex. He's good at this sort of thing."

"I appreciate that he took care of Jerry, but I don't know how much help he'll be in this situation." Sam started laughing. Jason's questioning look made her laugh even harder until she realized that she had neglected to inform them of something very important.

"Jason, Alex was a _spy_; finding people and making problems go away are like breathing to him,"

* * *

_AN: Okay so don't get used to this… Three updates in under a week… I wrote those three chapters at pretty much the same time, so they all came together pretty quickly. Well my finals are this week so hopefully I'll be getting this story finished soon. And as for the proposal, it sort of wrote itself. I hadn't intended on them getting engaged but it just seemed to click while I was writing- so there you go. No more drama for Jasam although we still have to deal with Alexis and the rest of the Cassadines… Dun dun dun! Anyways, read and review please!_


	18. Chapter 18

Olivia Falconeri smiled as she walked into the garage. Alex was elbow deep in the engine of the car, music was blaring from the stereo on the workbench and the scent of oil and gasoline pervaded the air. She walked over and turned off the music. Alex sighed and slowly turned to face his visitor.

"Hey," he said softly as he wiped the grease from his hands and arms.

"Hey yourself," Olivia smiled at him, "I got your message."

"Good," Alex nodded awkwardly- he hadn't really thought about what he was going to say, "Did you get the roses?"

"They were beautiful- but they weren't really necessary. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I canceled our plans less than an hour beforehand and then I didn't call you for three days. I thought an apology was necessary." Olivia shrugged.

"It's not like we're dating or anything, we're just…" she trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"Spending time together?" She nodded.

"If you need to cancel our plans and be out of touch for a few days, that's your prerogative. I don't expect anything out of you." Alex took her hand in his.

"It was disrespectful and I was raised better than that. You and I may not be in a relationship per se, but you still deserve better than that. I'd like to make it up to you if you're willing to let me." He tugged her arm so that she was standing in front of him.

"Well who am I to argue?" Olivia put her arms around his neck while Alex's arms went around her waist, "What did you have in mind?" He leaned his head down to meet hers.

"I could think of a few things," Olivia closed the gap between their mouths. The kiss quickly became passionate and Alex lifted Olivia so that she was sitting on the workbench with her legs wrapped around his body.

"Ahem," a male voice cleared his throat, "Sorry to interrupt but I don't have a lot of time." Alex broke the kiss and sighed in frustration.

"Dinner tonight? I'll cook," Alex asked as he helped her down from the bench.

"How about you come by my place at 7:30, we'll put your cooking skills to the test." Olivia kissed him on the cheek and left the garage.

"You have always did have ridiculous timing, Jimmy." Alex went to the refrigerator underneath the workbench and took two waters out, he handed one to his companion.

"Not all of us have time for tact, Alex." Both men took tong sips from their waters, "I got what you asked for, every government document with his name on it." Alex gestured for him to hand it over but he didn't, "There are a few things we need to discuss first."

"Aren't there always," Alex muttered, "What _exactly_ do we need to discuss?" Major Fitzpatrick leaned against the car and began looking through the file that had been in his hand.

"You're making them nervous," Alex knew he was talking about the NSA, "You don't technically have any allegiance to them or anyone else. You're taking un-documented trips out of the country and meeting with gun runners." Alex knew he would be wasting his breath by explaining his actions; the NSA didn't care why he was doing it, they only cared that his activity had been suspicious lately.

"What is this going to cost me?" Fitzpatrick sighed.

"They need a show of good faith. You need to meet with the Feds and sign a contract." Alex shook his head.

"No. I am re-building my life. It's not going to happen," Alex moved to throw away his now empty water bottle.

"It's the only way, Orsino. You are highly trained, highly knowledgeable and you don't have any official loyalties. If you don't ally yourself with them, they will make you _disappear_. You won't be killed or have an accident, you will just be gone. They've done it before."

"Those papers, they can keep me in the military indefinitely. I would be subject to recall or re-deployment at their whim. I am trying to put that entire chapter behind me; I don't want to be a spy, I just want to-"

"I understand- I do- but they won't stop just because you tell them to. I know you can keep yourself safe but what about your sister, or her boyfriend or the woman who was just here? Can you keep them safe? They won't stop until they get what they want." Alex leaned up against the workbench with his head in his hands, "Tomorrow at 09:30. I owe you, Alex. I'm going to be there to make sure this deal works in your favor." With a nod at his former friend, Major Fitzpatrick left the garage.

* * *

"Well that was disappointing," Sam said over her shoulder as she unlocked the door to her apartment, "I was really hoping that Spinelli would be able to find something." Spinelli had been searching the internet for almost eight hours and was still unable to find anything on Valentin.

"Don't worry, Sam. We'll find him," Jason followed her into the apartment after she opened the door.

"I know. I was just really hoping that we would get a lead on him today. We have no idea where he is or what he's after. I don't like being vulnerable, Jason." He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist; Sam leaned back into his body.

"We're going to figure this out; we are not going to let anything happen to your family." Sam smiled and turned herself so that she was facing her fiancé.

"I know," was her simple reply before she kissed him soundly on the lips.

"Sorry," Alex had walked out of the hallway and into the living room, wearing only a pair of slacks, "I didn't think you were home. I'm going to finish getting dressed." He turned around and began his walk back to his room. Sam squinted at his retreating form; he had added to the tattoo on his arm. _11.8 LM_ and _2.22 DM_ were now permanently inked on his body.

"When did you…" Alex turned around at her question and Sam pointed to his right shoulder.

"A few weeks ago." He gave his sister a sad smile and then retreated back to his room. Sam smiled at his actions: Alex had added her daughter and Danny's initials to his tattoo. Alex returned a few moments later, buttoning the cuffs of his dress shirt, a tie hung loosely around his collar.

"Going somewhere?" Sam quirked an eye at his suit and tie.

"Dinner plans," Alex replied distractedly as he began to adjust his tie; Sam sighed loudly after his second unsuccessful attempt and began to tie it herself.

"Does this have anything to do with work?" She finished tying his necktie.

"No," he loosened it slightly and ran his hand through his hair, "Although I am working on that."

"So where are you going?" Alex suddenly found his shoes interesting.

"I'm cooking for someone," Sam raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't realize you were seeing anyone." Alex shrugged.

"It's nothing serious." Sam scoffed and busied herself with fixing his tie once again, "Unlike you," he noticed the ring on her hand, "Congratulations are in order, I presume." He looked to Jason who had just come out of the kitchen with two beers.

"It just happened," Jason said as he handed one of them to Sam.

"I suppose it's a good thing I already had a gift for you," Sam narrowed her eyes.

"You had an engagement gift picked out already?" Alex scoffed.

"Not an engagement gift, but this does afford me an opportunity to give it to you," he pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, "Consider it a present to cover the all the missed birthdays and Christmases." Sam's eyes lit up.

"You're giving me your car?" She reached to take the keys from him.

"Are you kidding me?" Alex laughed at her crestfallen face, "You might want to actually see it before you decide you don't like it."

"Where is it?"

"It's parked in your spot, something I thought you would have noticed when you came in." Sam shrugged.

"We had to park in the visitor's entrance; I don't have a key card to the parking garage anymore." Alex pointed to the stack of mail on the desk.

"The building manager slipped it in the mail," he shrugged his suit jacket on and straightened his tie once again, "I'm on my way out but I'll take you down to see it." He moved towards the door.

"Hold on, Alex. We need to talk about what we're going to do about Valentin. We still don't know-"

"And that isn't going to change tonight, Sam. I have people on this, but the earliest I am going to get any information is tomorrow." Sam let out a frustrated sigh, "I know that you're worried, kiddo, but we can't do anything right now. Just enjoy your night," he nodded over to Jason.

"Alright," she smiled and dusted some lint off his shoulder, "You look good, by the way. The tie brings out the green in your eyes." He smiled and grabbed his keys from the desk.

"Come on, I'll show you your present." Jason and Sam followed Alex out of the apartment and down to the parking garage.

"Oooh, pretty," Sam said as she spotted her car: a 1968 Camaro SuperSport, midnight blue with white racing stripes.

"Well it's not a Mustang but seem to remember you liking them." Sam nodded.

"One of Cody's friends used to have a '78. It was beat up and sounded like crap, but I still loved it."

"Sorry it took me so long. It took a while to find the right one and then I had to strip it to the chassis and rebuild everything. I hope you like it," Sam practically tackled him in a hug.

"I love it. Thank-you." Alex smiled and hugged her tightly.

"You are very welcome. And congratulations," he let go of her and unlocked his own car, "Celebrate, okay? You have the apartment to yourselves tonight." He winked at her and got in his own car.

* * *

"Hey," Olivia greeted as she opened her door. Alex was standing there with grocery bags in his hands.

"Good evening," Alex kissed her on the cheek as she let him into her apartment.

"Wow," Olivia whistled when she got a proper look at him, "You sure clean up nice." Alex was wearing a well tailored black suit with a crisp white shirt and an emerald green silk tie.

"You look quite beautiful yourself." Olivia laughed. She was wearing a beige business suit with a pencil skirt and a light blue shirt.

"I literally just got off of work. I look terrible." Alex shook his head.

"Not possible," Alex assured her, "So how was your day?" He held out his hand for her and led them into the kitchen.

"Long," Olivia blew out a breath. Alex shrugged.

"I have a cure for that," he pulled a bottle of wine out of one of the grocery bags and poured two glasses.

"So what are you making tonight?" Olivia took a long sip from her glass.

"I was thinking I would make the first dish I ever learned how to make," Alex pulled the other various ingredients out of the grocery bags.

"And what is that?" She picked up the paper wrapped package from the butcher and studied the label. "Crawfish?" Olivia made a face at him.

"Crawfish fettuccini," Alex put several pots on the stove.

"I've never had that," Alex shrugged.

"It's a French Creole dish. My house keeper taught me when I was little," he began to prepare the crawfish.

"So your _house keeper_ taught you how to cook this, huh?" She seemed to be trying to bait him.

"I spent a lot of time with her growing up. She had more time and patience than my mother ever did." Alex shrugged, ignoring her tone.

"So where did you grow up?"

"Virginia."

"Did you like it?"

"It had its moments." Olivia scoffed.

"You are amazingly good at answering questions without actually answering them." Alex sighed.

"I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia with my mother and I didn't meet my father until I was seventeen. My mother was overbearing but never actually had time for me and my father was a lying, cheating bastard who never wanted anything to do with me. The only bright spots from my family were my brother and my sister." Olivia nodded mutely.

"I'm sorry I…" Alex shook his head.

"I just prefer not to talk about it."

"So you have siblings?" She tried to change the subject.

"My brother passed away a few years ago but my sister lives in town, hence my move to Port Charles."

"Well maybe I've met her. Who is she?"

"Sam McCall," Olivia grimaced slightly, "I take it you know her?" Alex raised his eyebrows.

"Not too well. I don't think she likes me much though,"

"And why would that be?"

"Well my kid's job is to put her boyfriend in jail. Doesn't exactly make her and me best friends, you know."

"Your kid is cop?" She nodded, "In the PCPD?"

"Yeah, why?" Alex laughed lightly.

"In the interest of honesty, I should probably mention that your son arrested me once." Olivia put her wine glass down.

"Oh. Did you deserve it?"

"Bar fight. He arrested Jason and Jax as well."

"Well it is his job." Alex shrugged, "Jason Morgan is a criminal, and criminals belong in jail."

"By that logic, a lot of people belong in jail." _Including Johnny Zachara, _he added in his head. It was almost amusing, Olivia's hypocrisy. The man she loved was a mobster, but she certainly didn't want him in prison. But she thought that her son was doing right by trying to throw the other mobsters in prison, "Look," he stopped her before she had the chance to reply, "This is supposed to be fun and distracting, not intense and hostile. Let's just have a nice dinner and enjoy each other's company for the evening. Can we do that?"

"I'm sorry, Alex. I had a pretty tense run in with Johnny today and instead of just trying to relax and forget about it, I try to start a fight with you. I would really like to just have dinner and unwind." Alex smiled and waved her over to help him prepare dinner.

* * *

Sam lay on Jason, making lazy circles with her finger on his naked chest. They had just finished another round of 'celebrating'.

"You know, Carly is going to freak when she finds out." Jason laughed. San could feel the low rumble in his chest.

"She knew I was going to ask you." Jason started stroking her bare arm.

"Yes, but she'll be upset that you didn't call her the second I said yes." Jason groaned.

"That reminds me, Carly wanted to know what we wanted to do for an engagement party. As much as I'd like to ignore her, we both know how it could end up if we do." Carly didn't take kindly to being ignored, and more importantly, she didn't understand the concept of 'understated', at least when her best friend was getting married. Carly had already presented Jason with her ideas for the 'Wedding of the Year'.

"I don't want to have an engagement party."

"If you're saying that because you think that I don't want to-" Jason felt Sam shake her head.

"I don't want to have an engagement party because I don't want to waste any more time. I want to marry you, very soon." Jason sat up gently, taking Sam with him.

"There is nothing that will make me happier than marrying you, but there are so many threats out there right now. Johnny is still being a pain in the ass and now Valentin. I don't want to make you and your family targets, Sam." She cupped his face.

"That has always been our reasoning for things, Jase. We put things off because it's never the right time- it's always too dangerous- but I've realized something: It's never not going to be dangerous. Johnny doesn't seem like he's going anywhere soon and who knows how long it'll be until we find Valentin. You and I have hectic lives- but we thrive in them. We need to grab our moments where we can, Jason." Jason smiled.

"Alright. When do you want to get married?"

"How about the weekend after next?" Jason laughed.

"Perfect." Sam smiled as Jason pulled her close for a kiss.

* * *

_AN: Okay, I am so sorry that this took so long, and I am especially sorry that this chapter is sort of a filler chapter. I think I've finally worked out the general arc for the rest of the story. I am going to get at this as soon as I possibly can. Unfortunately, summer vacation seems to be busier than my academic year so far. Thanks for your understanding and patience. _


	19. Chapter 19

"I'm not interrupting am I?" Alex peeked his head in the front door. Jason was sitting on the couch, fully clothed and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Sam just went to pick up breakfast." Alex walked through the door fully.

"I'll be out of your way in a few minutes." He walked back into his bedroom. Jason continued to drink his coffee. Alex came out five minutes later dressed in his service uniform: a neatly pressed green suit with a khaki shirt and tie, adorned with various ribbons and badges. "I'd like to speak with you while I have the chance," Jason just raised an eyebrow, "Look, I know it may not seem like it, but I respect your place in Sam's life. She loves you and she's choosing to be with you. So I'm going to make an effort to be …" he paused to search for the right word, "I think friendly is a bit of a stretch, so how about civil. I'm going to make an effort to be civil and I'd appreciate it if you did as well."

"Sam is one of the most important people in my life-you're her brother. I can manage civil." Alex nodded.

"Fantastic. While we're sort of on the subject, I want you to know that I'm happy for Sam, I want her to be happy, but at the same time I worry." Jason adopted his Stone Cold countenance.

"Our relationship is none of your business." Alex shrugged.

"I know, but Sam is my only family so you're going to shut up for a second and let me say my peace. Now, I don't like seeing Sam hurt-"

"I'm not going to hurt her." Alex scoffed.

"Yes you are-and she's going to hurt you too. It's a part of life-you can't have the good without the bad. I just want you to remember that she loves you. No matter how bad you screw up or how irrational she acts-Sam will always choose you. She has some deep-seated trust and abandonment issues-but she's working on them. I think that as long as you stand by her and are honest with her, you guys can make it work." He pulled his keys from his pocket and headed towards the door.

"Your sister has stuck with me through some of most difficult times in my life. I promise you: I will always be there for her." Alex nodded and smiled.

"And if you don't, if you manage to let Sam down so fully again, you won't see the bullet coming." Jason nodded. Despite his light voice, Jason knew Alex's threats were valid, "I should be done in a few hours, if you could let Sam know."

"Let Sam know what?" She opened the door before Alex had the chance to, "What's going on?" She noticed his uniform.

"I have a briefing to get to." Sam put the bag of food down on the desk.

"In DC? Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine and I'm not going to DC. They're coming to Port Charles for the meeting."

"What's going on?" Sam sat down on the arm of the couch, facing her brother.

"I have to sign some paperwork and go over the details of my discharge." While not technically lying to her, Alex still felt guilty for not telling Sam everything. He didn't want to add to her already high stress level.

"All right," Sam could tell he was holding something back but didn't press. He would tell her when he was ready to, "I'd really like to work on the Valentin thing today." Alex nodded.

"I should only be a few hours. Bye," Sam smiled at him and Jason simply nodded as he walked out the door.

* * *

For the debriefing, the FBI had sequestered a room at the local police department since they didn't have a main office in town. Alex arrived at the PCPD with about two minutes to spare. Major Fitzpatrick was standing at the bottom of the steps, casually leaning up against the guard rail.

"Punctual as always, Orsino." Alex shrugged his shoulders.

"I was going for 'fashionably late'," Alex sighed and rolled his neck in an attempt to relieve the tension that had begun creeping its way through his body, "Let's get this over with." Fitzpatrick nodded and climbed the steps with Alex trailing behind them.

"What can I do for you?" Cruz asked from behind his desk as he saw the two Marines enter the station.

"We have a meeting with Special Agent Barrett." Cruz looked around the station until he spotted the agent in question; it wasn't difficult. Everything about him screamed 'Fed'; he was dressed in a simple black wool suit, a slightly wrinkled white dress shirt, and a plain black tie. His fidgety nature and his young face gave away the fact that he was a new agent. Cruz pointed to the young man standing near the holding cell, "Thank-you."

"Majors," he straightened his posture the moment he saw them, "We have a room set up-right through here." He pointed to a door directly behind them; neither of them moved. Agent Barrett made his way hesitantly through the door ahead of them. "Have a seat please," he took a seat on one side of the table while they took the seats across from him. The young man began drumming his fingers on the table, uncomfortable from the stares of the Marine Officers, "Major Orsino, I'm Special Agent Barrett," he seemed to notice his nervous fidgeting and stopped, "I've been assigned to be your FBI liaison." Alex didn't give any indication that he had understood, "Would you like anything before we start? Water? Coffee? Tea?"

"I think that we'd all just like to get this finished as quickly as possible, Agent Barrett." The young man nodded.

"Of course, Major Fitzpatrick. I'm just waiting on my partner to start." The door behind Alex opened the moment Barrett finished speaking; neither of the Marines turned to see the newcomer. His partner was a woman in her late thirties; she was about 5'9" and had a lithe frame. Her shoulder-length dark red hair was straight and framed her face. The dark hue of her hair made her bright green eyes shine-even in the poor fluorescent lighting of the PCPD.

"I apologize for my tardiness." Her voice was very smooth but it exuded strength and authority. Alex looked up sharply when he heard her voice. , "Are we ready to begin?" The woman walked from the door to her chair without looking up from the file that she was reading. She began speaking without looking up, "I'm Special Agent Driscoll, and you must be Major," she finally looked up, "_Orsino_." Her whisper was almost inaudible. She and Alex stared at each other across the table, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings.

"Actually, water would be a great idea for the meeting," Fitzpatrick stood from his chair, "We should get a few, Agent Barrett."

"We really need to start-"

"Show him where the machine is," Agent Driscoll didn't acknowledge her partner's protests. After his initial reaction, Alex's face had become a blank slate but his eyes betrayed his emotions; the grey in his eyes turned silver and the green sparkled like emeralds. Agent Driscoll took a deep, shaking breath, "I was told you had…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

"You have my file." His words were clipped and his tone guarded.

"It never crossed my mind that this was you," she held up the file. Agent Driscoll continued to stare at Alex, at a loss for what to say. "We should-" She was interrupted when Agent Barrett came through the door.

"We've wasted enough time," he handed a water to his partner, "We really need to start the briefing." She nodded and took a deep breath. She reached for the tape recorder on the table and turned it on.

"Special Agent Katherine Driscoll, FBI. The date is 10 July, 2010; 10:02 hours. This briefing is to determine the status and placement of Major Alexander Orsino, USMC. Also in attendance are Special Agent Joshua Barrett, FBI and Major James Fitzpatrick, USMC."

"Do you record all of your interviews? Or are we just special?" Fitzpatrick's gaze was harsh. She bristled at his tine.

"This particular briefing is very important; my superiors asked for a copy of the proceedings." Alex scoffed.

"I'm sure they did." She pointedly ignored his comment.

"Major Orsino," he raised his eyebrows at her, "To whom do your loyalties lie?" He began to speak but was quickly cut off, "I would like to remind you that this interview is specifically relevant to your work as an NSA operative and your subsequent military service.

"I am an officer of the United States Marine Corps, ma'am-something I take very seriously. I'm loyal to my country."

"In two weeks you will cease to be a Marine. Who will have your loyalty then?" Alex was becoming agitated. For someone who devoted a large portion of his life to protecting his country, being accused of disloyalty was sacrilege.

"My family."

"I fail to see where this particular line of questioning is going," James interrupted the exchange before it became more heated.

"Major Orsino has the potential to be a serious threat to national security if he wishes. The purpose of this meeting is to establish a contract to ensure his continued loyalty." Her voice was tight and professional.

"By keeping me in the Marines?" Agent Driscoll shrugged.

"You seemed quite honored to be a Marine a moment ago. Would it be a problem?"

"Yes," Alex slammed his hand on the table. Agent Barrett jumped slightly, "I would never change the work that I've done, but I have paid my dues to this country. I gave up years of my life and a good chunk of my humanity for this country. I'm done."

"We don't want you in the Marines, Major." Barrett spoke before his partner could reply, she seemed to be very good at riling the man, "We have a different proposal for you." Alex slumped back in his chair.

"And what would that be?"

"You are in a very unique position, Major," Driscoll began, "Your soon to be brother-in-law is a mob kingpin-"

"I won't help you take Jason Morgan down." No matter what he thought of the man personally, Alex couldn't deny that Jason loved Sam and if he were to 'disappear', Sam would be crushed.

"That's not what we're proposing." Alex hesitated before asking her.

"What exactly are you proposing?" The younger agent jumped into the conversation.

"You were a non-official cover agent for years, Major. As a NOC you know what the hardest part of any operation is."

"Please, enlighten me, junior," he glared at the young agent, "What is the hardest part of an op?" Barrett shifted in his seat.

"Creating a cover. Any good cover takes months and millions of dollars to cultivate and a flimsy cover will get an agent killed. If you were able to cement yourself in Morgan's organization, you'd have the perfect cover."

"It wouldn't be a cover; it'd be his real life." James didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"We-our agencies- understand that, sir. You would be well compensated." Alex shook his head.

"No amount of money would ever make me-"

"What about a guarantee? Immunity and protection for you-and your sister." Agent Driscoll looked him directly in the eyes. The room was silent for a long, tense moment.

"And Morgan. Immunity for his as well." Bennett scoffed.

"Major, you don't exactly have anything to bargain with. Either you accept our deal or…" _You disappear_, the threat was definitely implied.

"Do you really think that little of me? So you think your plan is so ridiculously brilliant that I would never figure out why you're asking _me_ to do this?" Barrett stared at Alex, "I'm smart; I know exactly how this game works. You don't want these small-time gangsters. You want the important people. If I'm high enough in Morgan's organization, I can freely investigate his associates. More importantly, I can tell you which of his associates are working for or with terrorists, where their money comes from and who it goes to." Driscoll clapped softly.

"Very good. What'll be, Major?" Alex paused a moment to consider his options. He could run, but then Sam would be fair game. He could refuse their offer and stick around, but he wasn't absolutely sure that he could protect himself, his sister and all of her family. Or he could agree to be a mobster for the rest of his life, keep his sister and her family safe and hopefully take down some terrorists in the process.

"Immunity for me, Sam and Jason. I want it in writing; I want triplicates of the document and my lawyer to be present when it's signed." Barrett shook his head.

"I've already told you, we can't guarantee Morgan-" She cut off her partner again.

"Two weeks. But you need to be in his organization by the time the document is signed."

"That's not a lot of time." She smiled.

"You're resourceful. You'll think of something." Alex nodded at Fitzpatrick and they both got up from the table and headed towards the door; he paused before he opened it and turned around.

"I'll contact you when I'm in," he nodded at the agents, "Barrett, Fox." He held her gaze for a few more seconds before turning and walking through the door, Fitzpatrick following behind him.

"You can't be serious, ma'am. Jason Morgan is a known gangster. They'll never-"

"They will, Barrett. Someone like him, with his background and knowledge, is invaluable-especially coupled with a high rank in a solid organization. Morgan is a goldfish compared to the sharks they want." She turned off the tape recorder and straightened up her folder, "I'll present this myself." She got up and followed the Marines out the door.

* * *

After breakfast, Sam was laying on the couch, her head in Jason's lap. She was being lulled to sleep as he gently stroked her face with his thumb.

"So," Jason finally said something, Sam raised her eyebrows, "We should probably make some sort of plans-for the wedding." Sam groaned, "It's not exactly what I want to do right now either, but if you want to get married in two weeks, we have to do it soon."

"Alright," she shifted from his lap and sat up next to him, "We need to decide the location and the guest list."

"That's completely up to you. I just want to marry you-finally." Sam sighed.

"Jason, it's your wedding too. You have to help me with these decisions."

"Well I guess Molly had a pretty good idea," Sam gave him a questioning glance, "The church where Josslyn was christened is nice." Sam mulled it over, bobbing her head from side to side. Molly _was_ right; the church was beautiful and had a very homey feel but it just wasn't the kind of place that Sam had envisioned for her own wedding.

"I was kind of thinking something small and outdoors." That was more their speed. The elaborate church wedding had once been a pipe dream for Sam but as she had matured, she realized that a formal wedding in a church wasn't for her.

"I know the perfect place." Jason smiled.

"Really?" She gave him a slightly dubious look, "And where would that be?"

"Do you trust me?" Sam smiled slyly.

"Yes."

"I have to talk to Carly, but we can probably check it out tomorrow." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Sounds good." Sam wasn't entirely sure about trusting her wedding location to Carly, but Jason trusted the woman implicitly. While she and Carly rarely saw eye-to-eye, Jason was always a common ground for them.

"And what about the guests?"

"Well I want Maxie to be my Maid of Honor and the girls to be my…" Sam trailed off, remembering her mother's request that she stay away from her sisters. Sam had only been back in town for 48 hours; she had only really seen Alex, Jason and Spinelli in that time, "I don't even know if they can go." Sam's voice was sad.

"She came by the penthouse looking for you," Sam raised her eyes to his, "Alexis-she seemed upset. She sounded like she wanted to apologize," Jason had never gotten the full story about the events at the hospital so Sam told him what happened.

"I am so sorry, Sam." He put his head in his hands, "Everything was happening so fast and I was so scared that-"

"Jason," she pulled his face from his hands and cupped his cheeks, "You and I-we already went through this. We know what the mistakes were and we aren't going to repeat them." Jason brought his hands up to hers.

"I know. I'm just…I thought that you would have your family for support and then Alexis…" Sam shrugged it off but Jason could tell how hurt she still was.

"I had Alex. And now I have you and Spinelli-I'm happy. Who knows, maybe one day Alexis will calm down and the girls can come around again." He brought her hands from his face and pulled her to his chest.

"It's killing you, I know it is. Despite everything that's happened, Alexis is your mother and you deserve to have a relationship with her. Or at least some closure." Sam shrugged.

"I don't want to make waves. I'll just…"

"Deal with it," he finished for her, "I know you _can_ deal with it; I just don't want you to _have_ to."

"What can I do, Jason? She told me what she wanted and I'm respecting her choice."

"You need to talk to her, Sam." She sighed heavily, "No matter what happen, I am going to here for you-always." She took another few deep breaths.

"I guess I have to go talk to her, then." She started to get up but Jason grabbed her hand.

"Not this _exact_ second." Sam smiled and curled back into his embrace.

* * *

_AN: Man…These last few chapters have been like pulling teeth. I think I have a handle on them now but we'll see I guess. Anyways, please review and let me know what's going on- Do you like it? Hate it? _

_Also, I really need a Spinelli name for Alex. They are all going to be interacting soon and I need a name. Please and thanks._

_K_


	20. Chapter 20

"You alright, Orsino?" The two Marines were sitting the parking structure of apartment building; Fitzpatrick had taken Alex back to his apartment after their meeting. Alex had been completely silent with his eyes closed for the entire car ride. The only indications that he was awake were the sporadic tightening of his jaw and the clenching and unclenching of his fits.

"I'm fine." His whole body was tense.

"I know that was diffic-"

"Did you know?" Alex stared his friend in the eyes, "Did you know she was a Fed? That she was assigned to my case?" Fitzpatrick took a deep breath.

"Despite the way things are between you and me-I never would have let you walk into that if I had known she would be there." Alex rubbed his face roughly. The moment he heard her voice he recognized her. That voice had been haunting his dreams for years. Before she was Special Agent Katherine Driscoll of the FBI, she was Fox-his sometimes partner/adversary in international espionage, the love of his life, the woman who had betrayed him so long ago and now she was back.

"I felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room," Alex was sitting in the passenger's seat of his friend's car, staring straight ahead as he spoke, "I couldn't think…I just..." Fitzpatrick nodded.

"You never really got any closure." Alex scoffed harshly.

"Leaving me bleeding to death in a back alley of a foreign country seemed pretty final to me." Fitzpatrick shrugged.

"She was following orders."

"It was her choice. We all have choices, Jimmy," Alex shook his head, "And Fox made hers painfully clear a long time ago." He rubbed at the scar above his heart absently.

"You're not being realistic, Alex. The two of you never would have made it out of Prague-one of the agencies would have tracked you down within a day."

"We could have tried." Fitzpatrick turned in his seat to face his old friend.

"You're not think about it clearly, Alex. You're still hurt-too hurt to realize that she saved you. You could have tried to run but we both know that you'd most likely have been killed," Alex tried to interrupt him but Fitzpatrick pressed on quickly, "Or say that you did manage to escape-you would have been a wanted fugitive with a government sanction on your head. You never could have gone back to your family-to your life."Alex continued to stare out the windshield, not focused on anything particular.

"My car is at the PCPD," he effectively shut down the discussion, "I need to go get it."

"It'll still be there tomorrow." Alex nodded-he probably wasn't going to be in any kind of state to drive later anyways. "I have to get back. You know my number." Alex got out and made his way up to the apartment. He stopped a few feet from the door when Fitzpatrick honked at him. He turned to see the man holding a folder out of the window. "As promised." Alex smiled weakly and took the file from him before walking into the lobby of the building.

Alex began to tap his foot impatiently as he waited for the elevator in the lobby. The thoughts running through his mind were making him restless. After another thirty seconds he turned and headed for the stairs-opting to climb eighteen flights instead of waiting one minute longer. He took the stairs at a run, his frustration fueling his movement. When he finally reached his floor he was breathing heavily and sweating slightly. Alex took a few breaths to calm himself before straightening his uniform and exiting the stairwell. He paused in the doorway of the apartment, smiling at the scene in front of him.

Jason and Sam had fallen asleep on the couch. Sam's small frame was tucked into Jason's considerably larger one and Jason's arm was wrapped protectively around her torso. Alex smiled-his little sister had finally found real love with a decent guy (not that he'd ever admit his grudging respect for the mobster) and she was finally getting everything she ever wanted. _If anything good can come from this fiasco, it'll be keeping her safe and happy,_ he thought as he closed the door as quietly as he could. He walked back to the kitchen and immediately went to the freezer and pulled out a bottle of vodka that he had put in there. He took off the cap and took a long pull from the bottle-relishing the burn as it went down. He was angry-furious really. He wasn't an overly emotionally person-but seeing the woman who had betrayed him and stabbed him in the heart certainly elicited a strong reaction from him. Since he had walked out of the meeting, Alex had been fighting the urge to do _something_-get into a fight, chuck things from the rooftop, demolish a room-anything to get rid of the feelings. But unfortunately, he had no outlet for his aggression so the alcohol would have to do for now.

"Hey," he turned to see his sister coming into the kitchen, "I didn't hear you come in."

"I just got home." She eyed the bottle in his hands.

"Bad meeting?" He took another pull from the top before retrieving a tumbler from the cabinet.

"Not exactly what I expected."

"What happened?" She sat on the barstool across from him.

"I don't really know yet, _honestly_," he added at her disbelieving look, "I just need to sit down and figure it out-then I'll explain everything." Sam raised her eyebrows.

"Sounds bad." Alex shrugged.

"It has the potential. Let's change the subject," he took a sip from his drink, "You should call Spinelli over-I got that file on Valentin." Sam's eyes lit up.

"Finally!" She went to retrieve her phone from the living room. "Spinelli will be right over." She came back a moment later with her fiancé in tow.

"So what do you have?" Jason asked as he and Sam sat down at the bar across from Alex.

"Unfortunately, there's not much of a paper trail on him," Alex handed over the thin envelope, "He seems to exist pretty much on the fringe. I did manage to get copies of every single government document that has his name on it-from the US and Greece." Sam opened up the folder and began pulling the documents out.

"Well the ones in English I can understand. There are a few for property holdings, tax information on business ventures-but I don't read Greek." Alex took the papers from her hand and looked at them.

"Well this," he squinted at the document, "Is a birth record-I'm pretty sure."

"Well I'd imagine that he has one." Alex shook his head.

"This is the birth record for Pierce Cassadine-born 25 of March, 1998."

"Then why was it in Valentin's file?" Jason asked as he got up to answer the door when they heard the knocking.

"It's gotta be his son." Sam said, momentarily looking up from her own stack of papers. Alex nodded in agreement.

"Gracious greetings," Spinelli called as he made his way into the kitchen behind Jason. He walked over to the other side of the counter and opened up his laptop from his bag, "How can the Jackal be of use today?"

"We're trying to track down information on Valentin-we have documents and-" Sam was cut off by Alex.

"Oh man," they looked up at Alex. He held up another piece of paper with Greek writing on it, "Death certificate for one Pierce Cassadine. It's dated about five years later." Sam put her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my God. How?" Alex squinted at the paper again.

"Asphyxia. The coroner's report found seawater in the lungs. It's listed as an accidental drowning." Jason grabbed the folder off the table.

"Is there a copy of the police report?" Alex shook his head. "Can you try and find it Spinelli?" Jason moved over to where his young friend stood.

"Fear not Stone Cold; if it exists, the Jackal will find it." His finger began to fly over the keys at warp speed.

"What are you looking for?" Sam asked as she joined Jason behind Spinelli.

"I don't know. Something just seems off…" Jason trailed off-unable to explain his suspicion fully.

"Here it is," he pulled the report up, "Unfortunately, the desired documents are in a foreign language and as such the Jackal is unable to-"

"Let me see it," he moved the laptop over to Alex.

"Where did it happen?" Jason asked him.

"In Gytheio-it's the Sea Port of Sparta. According to the report, he slipped off his father's boat and fell into the water. He was too small to fight the current and got carried out to sea. They recovered the body a few hours later." Sam looked away for a moment.

"Where were his parents?" Alex scrolled down on the page.

"It doesn't say where his mother was but his father," Alex paused for a moment, "Apparently fell asleep on the deck-he didn't notice anything until it was too late."

"While horrendously saddened by the details of the young one's death, the Jackal is ultimately confused as to how this pertains to the matter at hand."

"It won't help us find Valentin," Alex admitted, "But it might help us understand things a bit better."

"Does the Brother of the Goddess believe that this tragedy is the reason for the Villainous One's actions?" Alex shrugged.

"I could certainly see it. My mother was murdered in front of my eyes, my birthright was stolen. I had to fight for everything that I had and then one mistake-one moment of weakness-and the most important thing in my life is taken away. I'd want revenge against someone-why not the people who have everything that should be mine." Sam looked over at Alex.

"It still doesn't make sense. Why now? Why use Jerry?" Sam started to pace.

"I doubt he's really all there at this point," Alex pointed to his head, "He's had years to foster this amount of resentment and hatred. I doubt he had a rational plan at this point." Sam nodded noncommittally.

"I know. It's just out of the blue-but it also seems planned. I just don't see-"

"Then we need to disrupt his plan." Alex decided, "He needs to be forced to make a move."

"His accounts," Jason spoke up, "We have his accounts. We can drain them; force him out into the open."

"If we're right, if Valentin isn't thinking clearly, throwing a monkey wrench into his plans might make things worse."

"If the Jackal may interject, would it not be equally unwise to simply let the Villainous One execute his plans?" Alex rubbed his face while Jason pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm tired of waiting for him to make a move. We need to be proactive." Alex closed the computer and handed it back to the younger man.

"It's the only option." Jason agreed with Alex.

"The Jackal will eliminate the Villainous One's monetary resources post haste." Spinelli packed up his laptop and quickly left the apartment. Jason moved into the living room to make a phone call leaving Alex and Sam alone in the kitchen.

"I'm going to head out too," Alex looked over at his sister, "I need to see Alexis." He nodded.

"Good luck, kiddo. I hope you get what you want." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before she left the kitchen.

"I have a meeting with Bernie." Jason was pulling on his leather jacket. Sam nodded.

"I'll see you later." She kissed him sweetly in the doorway before they both departed.

* * *

_I can do this. I can do this. I cannot do this…_Sam stopped short of her mother's front door for the third time. She had spent half an hour in the driveway trying to make herself got out of the car and now she just couldn't quite seem to make it to the door. After she had climbed the porch steps, the entrance to her mother's home had somehow become bigger and much further away than she remembered. Sam took a deep breath and rolled her neck to release some of the tension. _I can do this_. A determined look entered her eyes as she proceeded up the steps once again; she took three large steps towards the door and raised her hand to knock but froze just short of actually knocking. Sam let out the breath that she had been holding and turned around to make the attempt one more time.

"It was open." She turned on her heel to find Alexis standing in the doorway, "I was trying to let you do it in your own time but…" Sam blushed slightly. "Do you want to come in?" Sam nodded sheepishly and Alexis moved aside to let her in.

"I'm sorry for just stopping by," the mother and daughter stood in the living room together, both feeling very awkward, "I wanted to talk to you."

"I wanted to talk to you too, Sam. I've been trying to get in touch with you for a while but you seemed to be _incommunicado_." Sam nodded slightly.

"I was out of town. Alex and I had some things to take care of; we just got back yesterday morning."

"I know, I ran into your brother during my search. He and I had a very…interesting conversation," Sam had a surprised look on her face; he hadn't mentioned the meeting to her, "He made me think about some things and I came to a few realizations." Fear began to build in the pit of Sam's stomach: fear of her mother's reaction, fear of her rejection, fear of losing her family.

"Sam, you and I have never had an easy relationship-even before we knew we were related and especially after. We have this innate ability to antagonize each other and we have a lot of bad blood between us. I don't agree with your choices most of the time and I think you resent my involvement in your life-" Alexis was cut-off by her oldest daughter.

"I don't resent your involvement in my life!" Alexis gave her a pointed look, "I resent your need to control my life and your _constant_ disapproval of my choices. It seems like every time I do something that I'm proud of, you give me this look-like I don't quite measure up. And I never know what to expect from you! One day you want me to bond with the girls and the next you want me as far away as possible, at least with Cody, I always knew where I stood!"

"You are my _daughter_ and I am your mother." Sam shook her head-the explanation hadn't helped any, "I love you and I want to be in your life."

"I'm sorry, but it's hard to believe you. I mean, you say one thing and then another or you do one thing and then completely contradict yourself. I don't understand why. Why can't you love me like you love them?" Tears began to form in both of their eyes.

"Sam," Alexis whispered, "It's not…"

"_Why_?" Sam was freely crying now.

"Because it's my fault-I did this to you."

"I don't understand…" Sam gave her mother a pleading look.

"I gave you up, I gave you to _them_," she spat the word, "If I had just been stronger, more assertive with Mikkos I could've kept you and…"

"And I wouldn't be like this." Sam shook her head dejectedly, "I wouldn't be reckless and stubborn and I would have graduated high school and gone to college and-" Alexis cut her off

"You would have been _my_ child. You would have grown up with _me_. You would have known that you were safe and that you were cherished _every day of your life_. I would have been there-always-for every scraped knee and broken heart. I wouldn't have to fight you to let me in. You wouldn't feel like you weren't worthy. I wouldn't feel guilty because I didn't give that to you, that I didn't fight hard enough for you." Sam braced herself against the arm of the couch as she began crying even harder. Alexis marched over to her oldest daughter and took her in her arms.

"Sam, my actions are not your fault. It's never been about you not being _good enough_, it's about _me_ not being strong enough to fight for you when you were born and even now. I want a relationship with you so badly, but every time we start connecting…"

"One of us pulls away." Alexis nodded as she wiped a tear from her daughter's face.

"I love you-unconditionally. I know that I'm terrible at showing it-but I'm going to try harder. I gave up once before and I'm not going to do it again. You are my daughter, my first born. I want to be in your life, if you'll let me." Alexis stood patiently waiting for her to respond.

Sam still hadn't looked her mother in the eyes. Her mother had said the right things and made the right moves but Sam was still leery. It was one thing to say it but quite another to do it. They had been here before-promising to try harder and be better-but it hadn't worked. Now her mother was asking for another chance and Sam didn't know what to do. She could walk away and save herself from a lot of potential hurt or she could stick it out and try to build a family for herself. She finally raised her eyes to meet her mother's.

"I want to try." Her voice was soft but solid. Alexis' face lit up with a radiant smile.

"Will you have dinner with us tonight? The girls will be home from Carly's soon and we're going to order in and watch movies. I would really like for you to stay." Her expression was hopeful.

"I'd like that." Sam smiled and stood up to follow her mother into the kitchen to order the food.

* * *

_AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciated the suggestions for names. I also really enjoyed the Captain America one…it might show up later. I'll get the next chapter out ASAP. _

_-K_


	21. Chapter 21

_AN: So I think this chapter might cause quite a stir…For the record: I do not dislike Elizabeth, nor do I particularly care for her, and any involvement in this story has a _very_ specific purpose. I like the actress and I find the character mildly entertaining at times. I have read so many stories that paint her to be this diabolical villain, but in my story she isn't (I don't think she deserves that much credit). So, __**Disclaimer**__-by reading this, you agree to the following terms and conditions: I will leave only constructive criticism for this story (no page-long scathing rants about how evil she is), I will refrain from suggesting that Jason or Sam simply shoot her and get it over with, and I will remember that the author is a _**huge**_ Jasam fan and trust that she has a reason for doing this. _

_By continuing to read this, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions set forth by the author and her associates. ;)_

* * *

"Yeah," Jason answered his guard without looking up from his accounting records. The meeting with Bernie had been tedious and long-leaving an overflow of paperwork that needed to be examined.

"Ms. Webber is here to see you boss," Jason looked up at the doorway.

"Let her in, Victor." The man nodded and stepped aside to let the nurse in. Jason came around to the front of the desk as she slowly waddled into the office.

"Thank you." She let out a breath as she sank into the chair. Jason simply nodded and returned to his seat.

"It isn't safe for you to be out." Jason's tone was neutral.

"Actually, the doctor said that walking is good for me. Hopefully it'll help things along." Elizabeth was now just a week shy of nine months pregnant.

"We've talked about this. It isn't safe for you to come by-here or the penthouse." Jason scrubbed his face with his hand roughly.

"I needed to speak with you." She cleared her throat nervously.

"You should have called." Jason stood up and poured a glass of water from the carafe on the drink cart; he handed it to Elizabeth before returning to his seat.

"We needed to talk face to face-alone." She stopped Jason before he could tell her that he would have gone to Wyndemere. "Nikolas and I are going to be married soon," Jason nodded blankly, "He and I have discussed it and we want to make everything official," Elizabeth looked him in the eyes to see if he understood her words properly, "Nikolas has had papers drawn up-_adoption_ _papers_-for the boys."

"Nikolas is going to adopt Jake?" Elizabeth nodded timidly. "What about Lucky?" Was the first thought he could articulate.

"Lucky hasn't really had much to do with the boys since the engagement." Jason scoffed lightly. "My children need a father Jason. Lucky is gone and my boys deserve a good life-regardless of my actions."

"So what-do you want my approval? Do you want me to say 'It's okay that Nikolas is going to be my son's legal father'-because it's not. It's not okay at all." Jason remained seated, staring at the mother of his son intently.

"Jason, you promised to give up Jake so that-"

"So that you and Lucky could raise him, away from danger. That's not what this is. The only father that he has ever known-Lucky-is gone; he just disappeared from Jake's life. And now you want his 'Uncle Nikolas' to step in?"

"Nikolas is a great father and he can give Jake a great life."

"Nikolas' life is just as dangerous as mine!" Jason jumped from his seat and poured a drink for himself-scotch.

"Nikolas runs a legitimate corporation, he doesn't run the mob!"

"He has just as many enemies as I do. Spencer has guards; he's been kidnapped and terrorized. Not to mention Nikolas' family issues,"

"Helena is dead, Jason. She was the only threat to the family and now she's dead." Jason barely restrained himself from telling her about the newest Cassadine threat. "Nikolas will keep him safe." Jason pinched the bridge of his nose and took a slow, deep breath.

"You're asking me to give up my son-again." Elizabeth shook her head sadly.

"I'm not asking you anything, Jason. Lucky already signed the papers. We're going to file them after we're married." Tears had begun forming in Jason's eyes.

"What if I changed my mind?" He looked her in the eye, "What if I want to claim my son?"

"Nikolas and I are getting married," she repeated, apprehension forming in her eyes.

"We could share custody. Sam and I-." Elizabeth shook her head angrily.

"That's where this is coming from. Sam can't have children and now she's manipulated you into claiming Jake. We agreed Jason-your life is too dangerous."

"This has nothing to do with Sam." Jason practically yelled, "This is _my_ decision." Elizabeth scoffed.

"You're trying to tell me that this has nothing to do with Sam? We all know she blames you for her infertility. She's always wanted your child Jason-hell she was with Lucky just to be near Jake. After everything that's happened, I don't want your girlfriend anywhere near my son."

"Fiancé," he added quickly, "Sam and I are getting married-next weekend. She is part of my life and I want my son to be in our life too." Elizabeth huffed loudly.

"I thought you said you didn't want to drag Jake through a nasty custody case like Michael was." She tried futilely.

"I will if I have to," Jason effectively dismissed her. Elizabeth huffed one final time before pulling herself out of the chair and out of his office.

Jason quickly collapsed in his chair. He had no idea where that conversation came from. After everything that happened with Michael, he was convinced more than ever that giving up his son was the safest thing for everyone. After hearing that Lucky had simply washed his hands of Jake, something inside Jason clicked into place. Letting yet another man play daddy to his son was unconscionable, but the possible ramifications were as well. He sighed heavily and pulled out his phone hitting the first speed dial.

"_Hey_," Sam picked up after two rings.

"I need you to come by my office." Sam could hear the tension in his voice.

"_I'll be right there_." Jason smiled-she would always come to his rescue when he needed her.

* * *

"Imagine seeing you here," Olivia smirked as she took the seat next to Alex at the bar.

"Hey," he looked over finally noticing her presence. After Sam and Jason and left, Alex had taken a run to try and clear his mind. After an hour, he ended up at his garage-pouring through old photos and mementos from his past. After a few more hours, he still had no idea what to do so he decided to go to Jake's and get a drink…or six.

"You alright?" She noticed that his eyes were red and slightly unfocused.

"Tired," she gave him an incredulous look, "I might be a bit drunk." Olivia laughed. "Okay, I'm hammered-I admit it. Happy now?" She shrugged.

"So what's on your mind?" She signaled the bartender for a beer and another scotch for him.

"Just been doing a lot of thinking," he nursed his drink.

"About?" Olivia took a sip from her beer.

"We should stop this," he looked her in the eyes, "We can't see each other anymore." Olivia looked confused.

"Why? We're both adults, we're not having an affair. You and I have fun. I like spending time with you." Alex shook his head.

"We're using each other. I can't seem to get over my ex and you're trying to make Johnny realize that he loves you mare than he wants revenge." Olivia shrugged.

"I don't see a problem with that. It's not like I have some grand illusion about falling in love with you, Alex. You're a great guy-and making Johnny jealous is certainly a perk."

"I'm not a good guy." Alex's expression was serious, "You think I am-but all you see is what you want to see. You see the medals and the scars and you equate my success with being a good person. I am not a good person-I have done things that I will never be able to atone for…" A distant look crossed through his eyes. "You should stay far away from me…"

"Alex," Olivia grabbed his hands and held them in hers, "I happen to think-"

"Well isn't this cozy," Johnny staggered up to them at the bar, "My ex and her new boy toy pawing each other in a bar."

"John," Olivia immediately let Alex's hands go and stood up to stop him. "You need to walk away. You're drunk and-" John cut her off belligerently.

"You're still whoring yourself out to this guy? Anyone with a hard body and time to spare, right Liv?" She went to slap him but Johnny grabbed her wrist tightly before she could make contact. "Don't," he practically screamed at her. Before Olivia could process what had just happened, Alex had released her wrist from Johnny's grasp and shoved him up against the bar.

"I don't know how you were raised," Alex's body was trapping the younger man against the bar while his hands were around Johnny's throat-his thumbs applying a slight amount of pressure to the trachea, "But under no circumstances is it okay to speak to or touch a woman like that." He stared the young man in the eyes and increased the pressure slightly, "Leave. Now." Alex enunciated very clearly. "Go sleep it off." Alex released his grip and Johnny fell to the floor roughly.

"You have no idea what you just did. You have no idea…" Johnny was massaging his throat slightly, trying to regain his full voice.

"Why are you still here?" Alex sat back down to his drink without sparing the young mobster another glance.

"This is not over," Johnny turned and stormed out of the bar dramatically.

"Can't wait, champ." Alex threw over his shoulder and then slammed the rest of his scotch. He took a deep breath before getting up and turning around. "Are you alright?" Olivia nodded mutely. Alex scanned the bar-the other patrons were still frozen in place. It wasn't everyday that one of the local mobsters got chased out of Jakes. "Next round's on me!" Alex yelled as he slapped a few hundred dollars down on the counter for the bartender. He grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her outside to the alley behind Jake's. "Are you alright?" he repeated.

"I'm fine…" she trailed off, "He's _never_ been like that before. I…" She was having trouble forming coherent thoughts.

"He was drunk and angry. Not that I condone his behavior, but…I don't think he meant it." Olivia shook her head.

"That is _not_ the man I fell in love with-he's changed. He's obsessed with revenge and re-building his family's empire…he's lost touch with the things that matter." Tears began to leak from her eyes as she realized the truth-Johnny had become a true Zacharra-Anthony would be so proud.

"Come on, I'll walk you home." She shook her head sadly.

"No, I need some time alone." Alex nodded. "I heard what you were saying, Alex. Personally, I think you're a great guy, but if you think we should stop spending time together-I'll respect that."

"You've been really great to me and I don't want you getting caught in the chaos that inevitably surrounds my life." Olivia laughed.

"Have a good life, Alex." He smiled sweetly and cupped her face with his hand.

"You too, Olivia." He stroked her cheek with his thumb and gave her a soft kiss on the lips before releasing her. She turned and walked out of his life.

"How sweet…" A voice came from behind him. Alex turned sharply to see three large figures making their way out of the shadows.

"I don't want any trouble guys…" He put his hands up in surrender and started walking backwards slightly-this was the last thing he needed right now.

"Well I guess we should go home then, huh boys?" The three thugs began laughing and continued advancing towards them. Alex sighed and rolled his neck-mentally preparing himself for a fight.

* * *

"What's up?" Sam came rushing into his office. Jason smiled at her face-drawn with worry when she first entered and then alight with relief upon seeing him in the office, unharmed.

"Do you think I'd make a good father?" The look of confusion on her face might have been laughable if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation.

"Of course. I know you'd make an _amazing_ father." She didn't pause or hesitate before answering. He took a sip from his glass of bourbon. "What's going on, Jason?" The fear in her voice was almost palpable.

"After everything that's happened-the kidnappings, the violence, the shootings-I was so convinced that I made the right decision. There's no guarantee that I can keep myself safe, let alone an innocent child. Their so helpless; they can't make their own choices or keep themselves safe. I have no right to bring anyone into this life." Sam simply listened, allowing him to express his thoughts. "What kind of parent brings their child into that situation?"

"I can't speak for anyone else, but I thought the risk was worth it. When I was pregnant, I chose to bring my child into your life and into your world. Sure, her life would have been a little complicated, but she would have been surrounded by the most unconditional love that I have ever felt and I knew that you would never stop trying to protect her."

"Elizabeth is going to have Nikolas adopt Jake." Jason had adopted his Stone Cold face. Sam simply nodded, not knowing what else to say. She got up, walked around the desk and pulled herself into Jason's lap; bringing her arms to encircle his neck, she brought his head down to rest at the crux of her neck. After a few seconds, she felt the first few tear drops hit her shoulder. She held him tighter and allowed him to cry freely. After a few minutes, Jason straightened his back and drew her even tighter to his body. "I don't know what to do."

"You're going to do what's best for your son." She told him as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"I don't know what that is right now." Sam smiled lightly.

"I guess you have two options: you can fight for him or let him go." Jason shook his head.

"There is no way Nikolas and Elizabeth would willingly agree to shared custody; I don't want to rip his life apart with a trial. But at the same time, I don't think I can stand by and let _another_ man raise my son." He sighed in frustration.

"Both of your options have some pretty serious consequences but you can't worry about them right now. You need to focus on what is going to be best for your son-a lifetime with you or without him."

"What should I do?" Sam shook her head.

"I have always thought that you should be in Jake's life-but this isn't about me. I can't make this decision for you and I won't try to sway you one way or the other."

"We're a team, Sam. This affects you too." Sam pulled away from him slightly and looked him in the eyes.

"We are a team, but this is something that you have to decide for yourself. I'm going to support you-no matter what." Jason sighed.

"I just don't-" Sam's cell phone trilled loudly.

"Sorry," she pulled her phone out and looked at the caller ID, "Hello?" She hadn't recognized the number, but considering it was after 11:00pm, it was probably important.

"_Are you busy?"_ Sam narrowed her eyes.

"A bit. What's up?"

"_I think I need a lawyer_." Sam rolled her eyes and stood from Jason's lap.

"I'll be right there." She sighed and shoved her phone back into her pocket. "Come on, we have to bail my brother out of jail." She held her hand out to him and helped pull him from his chair.

* * *

_AN II: So I really hope you enjoyed it! I'm trying harder to get updates out as quick as I can. Hopefully I'll be ending this thing in a timely manner-We'll see! Remember the Terms and Conditions! BTW...I'm kind of a review whore...maybe if you review more I'll write faster.  
_

_-K_


	22. Chapter 22

_AN: Sorry for the delay, I have been super busy. Enjoy!_

* * *

Alex was tired. The stress of the day and the large quantities of alcohol that he had consumed were starting to drain him. He brought his hand-well hands really considering they were cuffed together-up to his face and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He was careful to avoid aggravating any of his injuries. His face had a few cuts, his lower ribs hurt, his left shoulder throbbed and the knuckles on his right hand stung every time he flexed them. Usually, three buffoons would be no problem for Alex-especially considering that they relied on their muscles and guns instead of any real fighting ability-but Alex had been drunk. Combining his inebriated state with his emotional distress, the situation had not been pretty.

"Alex," Sam and Jason came barreling into the PCPD with Alexis trailing behind them. Her brother was sitting in front of Dante's desk, his hand cuffed together.

"Fancy seeing you here." He smiled lightly.

"Are you alright?" She looked over his visible injuries.

"I think so," he rolled his head from side to side in thought. "Yeah I'm alright."

"You seem kind of…" She eyed him curiously, "Unfocused." Alex shrugged.

"I seem to be having a bit of trouble focusing right now." He didn't seem to care that he was handcuffed and sitting at a detective's desk.

"How drunk are you?" She finally realized the reason for his behavior. She had never really seen him drunk before.

"Not as drunk as I was an hour ago." He responded dryly. Sam rubbed her forehead, _this is going to be a long night._ Dante came back into the bullpen a moment later. He motioned for Alex to get up and follow him into the conference room.

"I need to get a formal statement from you."

"Not without his lawyer present," Alexis intercepted her new client. Dante sighed.

"Interrogation One." He led the way to the room. Sam moved to follow them, "You can't be in there, Sam. Counsel only."

"She's part of my legal team-we keep her firm on retainer." Alexis stared the detective down. Dante shook his head and sighed; knowing that arguing would only make his job more difficult he let both women into the room. Alex, Sam and Alexis sat on one side of the table while Dante sat on the other with a notebook and pen in his hands.

"Can you tell me what happened?" He looked at Alex.

"That's a pretty vague question." Alex was being difficult.

"Earlier this evening, you were involved in an altercation at Jake's…" Dante prompted as Mac slipped into the interview room to keep an eye on things.

"Yes." Dante sighed when Alex failed to expand.

"Just give a recount of you night-starting when you got to Jake's." Alex looked over at Alexis before continuing. She nodded for him to start.

"I got to Jake's a bit before 10:00pm. I sat at the bar and ordered a few drinks-scotch I think. A while later, I went out to the back alley where some guys tried to jump me. I defended myself and then I was dragged to the station."

"That's all that happened?" Alex nodded.

"Witnesses from Jake's claim that you got into an altercation before you went outside." Mac provided from his spot in the corner.

"Unless John Zacharra is pressing charges, I fail to see the importance. Besides, I was simply reminding him of his manners." Dante scoffed.

"I think I missed the memo where nearly strangling someone counts as reminding them of their manners." Alex shrugged.

"I thought we were here to discuss my client being attacked in the alley. Clearly, this has nothing to do with the situation at hand." Alexis didn't like the tension that was growing between her client and the young detective.

"I think it has a lot to do with the situation at hand. You're client is obviously drunk; he started a fight in Jake's what's to say he didn't start the fight in the alley? It's kind of hard to believe that he was the victim considering all three of his alleged attackers are in the hospital-one of whom is in surgery because of internal bleeding." Sam looked at her brother sharply.

"I was defending myself, _detective_. Three men tried to beat me to death in an alley. I had every right to take action."

"Just like you had every right to strangle Johnny Zacharra?" Dante was trying to bait him into confessing. Alex was about to reply when Alexis stopped him with a glare. He stopped and took a deep breath to calm himself.

"You should probably recues yourself from this particular case, Detective Falconeri." Dante scoffed.

"I'm sure you'd like that, right? Have some other detective come in here so you can spin them your tale? Make them think you're something other than a criminal like your sister and her boyfriend." Alex sat up a bit straighter and leaned across the table. Mac moved closer to his detective to try and rein him in while Sam did the same for her brother.

"Since you've asked so nicely, detective, I suppose I should just tell you. Mr. Zacharra and I got into it," Alex's voice was so soft that the detective had to lean closer to hear him properly, "Because he didn't take too kindly to the fact that I'm screwing his ex. You know, your mom." Before either Sam or Mac could react, Dante had pushed his chair back and taken a swing at his suspect. Alex easily deflected it and delivered his own blow to the Dante's jaw-effectively sending him to the ground.

"ENOUGH!" Mac yelled as Sam managed to pull Alex back into his seat. "Stay there!" He yelled as he pulled Dante from the room. Alex sat in the chair, his breathing labored. A soft clapping started behind him.

"Well that was rather entertaining," Special Agent Driscoll stood in the doorway behind them.

"Always glad to entertain the masses," Alex gritted out. Sam pulled on his arm to get his attention.

"You need to sit down-right now, Alex." He slumped back down in his chair. Agent Driscoll walked around to the other side of the table.

"Don't worry, there won't be any charges filed." She stared him directly in the eyes. He stared back defiantly.

"I don't need your help." She rolled her eyes.

"The men in the alley worked for one of Zacharra's warehouses." Sam looked up sharply. "Low-level thugs-completely expendable."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Alexis tried to stop any further interrogations.

"Special Agent Driscoll, FBI." She didn't bother to drag out her badge.

"And what exactly is your interest in this case?" Sam looked from her brother to the agent for answers. Alex expertly avoided her gaze by staring at the wall in front of him.

"My interest in this case should be obvious," Agent Driscoll studied Sam's face. The younger woman's blank stare said it all. She smiled and was about to continue when Alex stopped her.

"_Enough_," he spoke in Hebrew-a language they both knew well, "_This is between you and me_." Alexis and Sam both gave him odd looks. "I need to speak with Agent Driscoll-alone." His eyes never left the Agent's.

"The hell you are," Sam turned to him, "She's a fed-she will-"

"It's fine, Sam." His tone was serious. Sam nodded reluctantly and headed towards the door gently pulling Alexis along.

"You haven't told her yet?" An amused smile played on the agent's mouth, "I thought you would have right away. This deal is like Christmas for her. You stay here and she and her boyfriend are guaranteed to stay out of jail. It's a definite win for everyone." He still refused to look her in the eyes, knowing she could read him so well.

"It's my choice to make. I'll tell her when I'm ready."

"You mean after you've signed the agreement? After it can't be taken back?" Alex rolled his neck to relieve tension.

"Why are you even here? Your flunky, Barrett, can handle the paperwork." She nodded and sat down across from him.

"He is handling the paperwork." Alex shook his head.

"So why are you still here? Trying to make my life more difficult because I have to admit you're doing a damn-"

"I never had the chance to apologize." Alex stopped talking immediately. This had been exactly the conversation he was trying to avoid but she was quite adept at getting a reaction out of him.

"_Apologize_?" He gave her an incredulous look, "Do you really think an apology-eleven years later-will make everything better?" She looked up at his face.

"No-but you deserve one. I'm sorry, Alexander." He scoffed.

"For what, stabbing me? That's hardly the worst injury I've sustained." She shook her head.

"For not choosing you-us. There was so much going on-I had to make a decision and I made the wrong one." Alex took a deep breath.

"No you didn't. Running away was an unrealistic option-we couldn't have made it."

"We might have. And I'm sorry that we didn't try. I loved you so much, but I just couldn't put that much faith in anyone. Our lives-the way we were trained and conditioned-taught us to rely only on yourself. To let go and to trust that we could make things work-I couldn't do it." Alex nodded non-committally.

"It was a long time ago. I need to focus on the present-my life and my family-and leave the past in the past." He wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible.

"What if it's not in the past?"

"Don't," Alex tried to stop her, "Leave it alone, Fox." Opening up the past was dangerous. There were feelings and emotions that he couldn't admit to-not if he wanted to protect himself. Agent Driscoll smiled slightly.

"I have always hated that name." Alex shrugged. He was trying his best to keep a detached manner despite the way her words were affecting him.

"Well you didn't exactly give me anything else to call you."

"Kate. I prefer to go by Kate." Alex nodded and began to get up.

"It was nice to meet you Kate." He was just about to open the door when she spoke.

"I would get used to seeing me, Alexander." He turned around immediately.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I am going to be your permanent case handler."

"So the feds are just going to open an office in Port Charles?" She shook her head.

"As soon as you sign the paperwork I will cease to be a federal agent. My permanent cover assignment will be as a detective with the Port Charles Police Department."

"They only give permanent assignments to agents who want out. Why would they elect to take you out of active service?" She took a deep breath.

"Because I asked them to." Alex stared at her for a long moment.

"Why?" His voice was near a whisper.

"I know that I can never undo the past-but I love you and I know you love me too. I would like a future with you, Alexander-or at least the chance." Alex shook his head.

"Too…too much has happened. We can't fix it."

"So we start over," she walked over to him and took his hands in hers, "I will never feel this way for someone else-only you. We can make this work just say you will give it a chance." Her eyes were pleading with him and tears had begun to form behind his eyes. Once upon a time, it was everything he had wanted-the love of his life staying and fighting for them-but he feared that it was too little too late.

"I can't promise you…I don't know if we can get over it." She nodded and wiped a tear from her own eyes, "But I honestly have no idea what the future holds." He gave her the slightest bit of hope. She nodded and released his hands.

"Is everything alright?" Mac entered the room just as they finished talking.

"Perfectly fine," Kate replied as she wiped the traces of tears from her eyes.

"Alex, why don't you go home for the night and I'll come by tomorrow and get a formal statement about the alley." Alex turned to Mac.

"And what about the incident with Detective Falconeri?" Mac grimaced.

"I was kind of hoping we could just pretend that it never happened." Alex nodded.

"I apologize for my behavior this evening, Commissioner." He nodded to Kate and Mac and left the interrogation room.

"What's going on? Do we need to post bail? Are you pressing charges-" He put his hand over Sam's mouth to stop her rambling.

"I am far too tired to keep up with your rambling at the exact moment. I am free to go-no charges for either incident. So can we please go?" Sam looked at him suspiciously and noticed that his eyes were redder than they had been earlier-like he had been crying.

"Alright, let's go." She nodded to Jason who was lurking in the corner-uncomfortable about having to be in the police department any longer than he had to be. She pulled her brother towards the exit.

"Where did your mom go?" He was looking around for her.

"She went to find Mac." He nodded in satisfaction and followed her into the parking lot. Once they reached to cars, Sam started pat his pants in search of his keys.

"Whoa. This is illegal in at least fifteen states, kiddo." Sam rolled her eyes and fished his keys out of his back pocket.

"Don't worry, I won't tell if you don't." Sam deadpanned. She threw Alex's keys to Jason. "Can you please take his car back to the apartment?" He nodded and went to her brother's car. "Let's get you home and into bed."

"I don't know-we might be rushing into things. I mean we haven't even been on a date yet." Sam cuffed him on the back to the head and pointed to the passenger's seat of her car. He very ungracefully got himself into her passenger seat and closed his door. Sam shook her head at his behavior-it was very out of character for him. While she had never actually been with him while he was drunk, she highly doubted that the alcohol was to blame for all of his antics tonight. Something else was going on and she was determined to find out what it was.


	23. Chapter 23

"Mmmmm," Sam groaned when the light peaked through her bedroom window, "Five more minutes." She rolled over and snuggled closer into Jason's side.

"It's only 7:30, you can sleep for a few more minutes." He stroked the back of her arm idly.

"I have to get up and make sure Alex is okay," she took a deep breath and began to get out of bed.

"He's probably still passed out." Jason had been the one to help Alex stumble into his room the previous night. Sam shook her head.

"I have no idea what happened last night. I have never seen him like that." Jason moved over and wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't know, honestly. But I do know that he loves you and whatever is going on with him, he's going to tell you. He just might need a bit of time to work things out on his own." Sam nodded and leaned back into his chest.

"I just want to help him. Ever since he came back, my life has been chaotic-and he's been in the thick of it. I just don't want him to be overwhelmed with everything. He keeps telling me he's fine but I'm really afraid that he's going to have some type of set back or…"

"Or get himself killed."

"He got into a fight with Johnny Zacharra and then-what an hour later-he gets jumped in the alley by three people who just happen to work at his warehouse? And then that woman, Agent Driscoll, there was something else going on there." Jason just held her tighter.

"I'll talk to Johnny-this is getting out of control." Sam nodded.

"You take a shower and I am going to make sure that my brother is still alive." Jason chuckled and let her go.

Sam padded down the hallway to Alex's bedroom and pushed open the door hesitantly. "Alex?" No answer-she opened the door fully. His bed was made, his clothes from the night before were in the hamper and his glasses were gone from the nightstand where she had put them. She turned around and headed towards her room to speak to Jason when she smelled it. Bacon and cinnamon. She moved towards the kitchen-the sizzling sounds and delicious smells guiding her.

"Morning," he smiled at her and pushed a glass of orange juice towards her on the counter. She gave him a strange look, "It's good for you-calcium and vitamin C." He took a sip of his own coffee.

"What time did you get up?" She sat down at the counter and took a sip of the juice.

"Normal time." He flipped the piece of French toast in one pan and turned the bacon in the other.

"We didn't get in until after 1am." Alex shrugged.

"I haven't been able to sleep past 5:30am since I joined the Corps." He put another pan on the stove and turned on the burner.

"How are you not passed out on the floor of the bathroom right now? You were hammered last night." He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't get hangovers-I never have. Useful skill, actually." Sam shook her head.

"I hate you. If I had drank a third of what I assume you did last night, I would be on the floor of the bathroom, swearing to God that I would never drink again." Alex cracked an egg in the pan.

"I don't drink much anyways. Alcohol seems to take away that filter in my mind-the one that tells me what to say and what not to say. Speaking of, I need to apologize for last night. I was belligerent and completely out of line." She could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"You didn't say anything to me." He shook his head.

"I was an ass-more so than usual. I never should have been in that position. Alcohol was a really stupid way of trying to clear my head." Sam put down her empty cup.

"I know you're trying to figure things out on your own but I'm here if you need help." Alex plated the eggs and added a few pieces of bacon.

"I will definitely keep that in mind, kiddo." Sam smiled as he slid the plate in front of her, followed by another with French toast on it. "How does Jason like his eggs?"

"Scrambled." Alex had just pulled a pull out for the eggs when a knock sounded at the front door.

"I'll get it-you eat." He turned the pan for the eggs off and went to answer the door.

"You've got some nerve." Olivia stormed into the apartment as soon as he opened the door.

"Please, come in." She ignored him.

"First, you get into a fight with my ex. Next, you get jumped in an alley and arrested; then, to top it all off, you get into a fist fight with my kid. Plus, I have to find out about all of this from the _Police Commissioner_ first thing this morning. What, you couldn't call me? Let me know what happened? Whether or not you were okay?" She paused to take a breath.

"Well, I was kind of passed out until a little bit ago. I didn't exactly have the faculties necessary to call you. Although, I do apologize that Mac questioned you before I got the chance to explain what happened." Olivia shook her head.

"Are you alright?"

"Just a few bruises." She ran her fingers over the cut on his lip lightly.

"You sure?" Alex nodded. "Good." She wound back her hand and slapped him soundly across the face. Sam came out of the kitchen and Jason emerged from the bedroom just as it happened.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" His sister yelled. Alex waived Sam off.

"I deserved that," he rubbed his now slightly pink cheek, "We're good now, right?" Olivia nodded. "Okay, we are going to go out to the terrace and talk. You two enjoy breakfast." Olivia just now seemed to notice Sam and Jason.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she followed Alex out to the terrace.

"First off, you need to know the truth. Your son was out of line. He was harassing me, trying to get a confession, which is fine, but the second he pulled my sister into the discussion-he crossed the line." She started to argue, "That being said, I was drunk and I wasn't thinking clearly. I said something I shouldn't have and he tried to hit me-but I hit him first. Under no circumstance should I have done it and I apologize."

"All of a sudden, Dante attacked you?" Alex winced as he tried to explain what happened.

"I provoked him-deliberately. I made a comment about…you," her eyes flared at him, "It's not an excuse, but I was drunk and he was trying to get a reaction out of me. I don't think it was the one he was looking for, but that's what he got."

"What the hell did you say to him?" Olivia pressed. Alex closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, dreading the next part.

"I sort of told him that you and I were seeing each other-but not exactly in those words."

"What words-_exactly_-did you use, Alex?" Her eyes bored into his.

"I told him that Johnny and I were fighting because he didn't appreciate the fact that I was screwing his ex." Alex braced himself for the slap he knew was coming-he wasn't disappointed.

"You son of a bitch!" Alex rubbed his cheek, "You had no right! I am an adult and what I do in my personal life is absolutely none of anyone else's business-especially not my son's. And to deliberately use his mother to taunt him," she shook her head, "You were right-you are not a good person and I can't believe I fooled myself into thinking you were." She glared at him one more time before storming back into the apartment and through the front door. Alex took a second to stretch his back and neck before heading back into the kitchen. Jason had just finished cooking the rest of the food.

* * *

"So he's been seeing…"

"Yup." Jason gave Sam a confused look.

"For how long?"

"I have no idea-for a little while I'd imagine. Although I'm pretty sure it's over now." Jason nodded.

"So what are your plans for the day?" He sat down next to her and began to eat his breakfast.

"I have to go to Spoon Island later today, its Cam's birthday party. Apparently Nicolas wants to try some extended family bonding before the wedding." Jason immediately had a sad look on his face at the mention of Nicolas and his soon-to-be-family. It was gone as quick as it came.

"Does that mean you're free this morning?"

"Maybe."

"Good, cause we have plans." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"And just what were our plans for this morning? I believe you owe me a wedding location…"

"You'll just have to come with me and see." Sam smirked.

"I like the sound of that." She leaned in to kiss him when the door slammed. A few minutes later, Alex walked back into the kitchen. "I take it that's over with now?" She handed him his coffee.

"To put it mildly." He took a long drink from his coffee, "What are you up to today?"

"We have a few errands to run and then I have a Cassadine function I have to go to on Spoon Island." Alex nodded.

"Have fun with that." He turned to leave.

"Hey wait," he turned to his sister, "I have a question for you."

"Shoot." Sam started nervously playing with the remaining food on her plate.

"We're getting married next weekend-it's going to be a small thing, just family and really close friends. And I was hoping…well wondering if you'd be willing to, I mean if you're able to-"

"I think you've just set a record for the most words used without actually making a proper sentence. What do you need, Sam?" Sam was nervous. She didn't want to ask too much of him but it would mean the world to her if he would.

"I want you to walk me down the aisle. I mean I know it's usually the father but I thought-" He moved to silence her.

"Tactical militant airstrikes would not keep me from walking you down the aisle." She smiled brightly, "I have some errands of my own; I'll see you later." Alex left the couple alone to finish breakfast.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Sam asked again as she resisted moving her blindfold.. Jason chuckled.

"You have no patience."

"If you're just now realizing that, we might have some issues."

"Maybe I just like taunting you a bit." The car finally stopped but Sam was unfortunately still blindfolded.

"And maybe I'll taunt you with this blindfold later." He tone was suggestive. It took a great deal of self control for Jason to not turn the car around and head back to his place.

"Come on," he climbed around to her side of the car and helped her out.

"Seriously, why all the subterfuge? I know wherever you had in mind will be fine." Jason rolled his eyes.

"I don't want fine," he led her to the elevator and pressed the button, "I want perfect. It's what you deserve."

"I would marry you on a street corner, Jason, as long as I got to marry you." He kissed her cheek and then helped her off the elevator. They walked a little ways before ending up at a huge set of double doors.

"Ready?" Sam nodded. Jason took the blindfold off her eyes and opened the doors, waiting for her reaction. Sam gasped.

Carly had truly outdone herself. She had managed to transform one of the drab terraces into a beautiful Japanese inspired garden. The middle of the garden was open with a handful of simple black benches, the sides were lined with cherry blossom trees-in full bloom, and the opposite end of the terrace was open, overlooking the bustling and vibrant Port Charles skyline and just off in the distance the water of the harbor was visible. Carly had placed a simple red Tori Arch at the far end of the garden and simple, delicate lanterns were strewn throughout the garden. It was still relatively early during the day, but Sam could imagine saying their vows just as the sun set over the city.

"It's breath-taking." Jason smiled.

"Well I figured, you know, rooftops have been very good to us in the past." Sam smiled as she remembered the many times they had danced or dined on a rooftop throughout their relationship. "I just wanted something that reminded us of the good-times."

"Every second I have with you is good." She turned and wrapped her arms around Jason's neck.

"I'm really glad that you like it." Sam smiled and got up on her toes to kiss him.

"Hey you two, save it for the wedding night." Carly walked through the double doors that lead to the terrace. Sam and Jason ignored her and continued to kiss briefly.

"Carly, this is amazing, thank-you." The older woman shrugged easily.

"Since I couldn't throw you guys an engagement party, I figured this would be a good enough gift."

"It's perfect, Carly." Jason beamed at his best friend.

"I'm glad you guys like it but now I have to kick you out. The landscapers aren't quite done yet." Sam smiled and took one last look around.

"That's okay, I have to go anyways. I love you and I'll see you later tonight." Jason nodded as Sam left.

"I'm glad that you're finally getting what you want, Jase." He hugged his best friend lightly and headed back to his penthouse.

* * *

"It's open," Jason called to the door. He was stuck at home going over contracts again.

"Hey," Alex came through the door.

"Sam's not here."

"Actually, I'm here to see you." Jason nodded and gestured for Alex to take a seat on the couch.

"What's going on?" Alex pulled something out of his back pocket.

"This is an offer to you-and Sam. Complete immunity from any and all prosecution." Jason eyed it wearily.

"What is it going to cost me?" As tempted as he was, Jason knew that nothing this good ever came for free. Alex handed the contract to him to look over.

"You need to hire me-your enforcer should give me enough power to get the job done." Jason eyed him wearily.

"You want to take my organization apart from the inside?" Alex shook his head.

"If only it were that easy. You actually get to continue to run your operation as you see fit-probably even expand it considerably."

"What's the catch?" Alex sighed-this was the deal-breaker.

"This basically cements you, Sam and me into the mob for the rest of our lives, or until I can negotiate a better deal with the feds."

"I can't do that to Sam." Jason didn't necessarily want to be a mobster for the rest of his life.

"You already are, Jason. Have you ever seen a person actually get out and lead a normal life?" Alex shook his head, "They'll be running, looking over their heads, jumping at every backfiring car for the rest of their lives until one day their past catches up with them. Sam knows that-by marrying you she is tying herself to the mob for the rest of her life. She accepts that and as much as I hate it, I respect her decision." Jason knew Alex spoke the truth.

"Sam will never let you into this life. Even if she is, she won't want you-"

"It's not her choice." Alex looked Jason square in the eyes, "They will come after her, after you, after me. They won't stop until they get what they want. And this," he pointed to the papers, "Gives me the power to keep everyone safe."

"By bringing her only brother into the mob." Jason got up and started pacing.

"I can make things better, safer. I have resources and connections that you don't-plus the cooperation of a federal agency. I can make life safer for you and her. You won't have to constantly look over your shoulder for the next attack; you won't have to constantly worry about your family being safe." Jason shook his head vehemently.

"No one can guarantee that they'll stay alive."

"You're right. She could get t-boned by a drunk driver tomorrow-there are things that you can't safeguard against. It's just part of life. You have to hold onto the good moments while you can and I can help you have more of them. I can do this." Jason sighed heavily. It was such a tempting offer. No more worry of the police arresting him, not constantly having to handle every aspect of everyone's security, having time with Sam-maybe even his son. But the downside was that he would have to trust someone else. It wasn't that he didn't trust Alex's abilities; it was just that Jason would rather handle things personally so he knew that they were properly taken care of.

"I don't-"

"Stone Cold! Lazarus!" Alex didn't even flinch at Spinelli's new nickname for him, "The Villainous One is in our fair city!" He came barreling down the stairs.

"Valentin is here?" Alex clarified.

"Affirmative. The programs that I set to alert me of his passport activity have been triggered. He entered Port Charles just over an hour ago."

"An hour? Why didn't we know about this sooner?" Jason was furious.

"The program has had much data to comb through-"

"Spoon Island." Alex suddenly realized, "Nicolas is having family gathering-it's a great place to strike if you want all of the Cassadines together at once."

"Sam's there." Alex nodded and pulled his gun from behind his back to check the clip.

"You have a boat?" Jason was already grabbing his gun from the lock box in the closet.

"You might need more ammo." Jason also retrieved the keys for his speedboat.

"It's in the trunk." Alex followed him out of the penthouse.

* * *

_AN: Oh yes, I did stop it there…Dun Dun Dun! I guess you'll have to annoy me with reviews if you want me to update faster. Later all._

_K_


	24. Chapter 24

Sam sighed as she looked out over the water. She, her mother and her two younger sisters were on the launch heading to Spoon Island for Ca's birthday party. It wasn't that Sam isn't like spending time with her family, or that she didn't like Cam. It was just the idea of being trapped on an island with only one means of escape-not that she intended on having to escape but things with her family were still sort of unsettled. She had yet to tell her mother or her sisters of her engagement, let alone that the wedding was in eight days. It would be a big test of her and Alexis' determination to pursue a relationship with each other.

"You okay?" Her mother came up behind her and rested her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Just thinking. I've had a lot going on." Alexis nodded.

"How is Alex?" Sam turned to face her mother and shrugged.

"He's going through something but he won't let me help him." Alexis nodded in understanding.

"Well honey, he knows you're there for him and I'm sure he'll come to you when he's ready." Sam smiled sadly.

"I know. I just want him to be happy and safe. He's been through a lot and he's already sacrificed so much." Alexis patted her daughter's arm.

"I don't know him very well, but Alex seems like the kind of man who would do anything he could to save someone-especially you. He loves you and he just wants to keep you safe and happy."

"I know, I just wish he'd let me help." Sam smiled at her mother. "So how are the girls doing?"

"They're doing well, considering. Sonny still hasn't been the father that Kristina deserves and-through everything- Ric hasn't called or written Molly once since he left."

"And how are they adjusting to having Mac around?"

"Surprisingly well, actually. They've been pretty supportive of Mac and me getting together. He and I have discussed it and he's going to be moving into the house with us pretty soon." Sam smiled-her mother seemed really happy.

"So have you guys set a date yet?"

"Not yet, but we were thinking by the end of the year. We're not getting any younger and we've been dancing around each other for a while."

"Speaking of weddings-" Sam was interrupted by the launch docking on the island.

"Come on mom," Molly ran off the boat immediately.

"I had better go after her; I'll see you inside." Alexis hurried after her youngest daughter with Kristina following behind. Sam let out a long breath-she had been about to tell her mother about her engagement but as usual, fate had other ideas.

* * *

Sam smiled as she entered Wyndemere; it was decked out for Cam's birthday. Instead of the gothic furniture that usually encompassed the room, folding chairs and tables were strewn about. The tables were covered by plastic table cloths and green and blue streamers were strewn along the walls and ceiling. Just as Sam came into the parlor, several tiny blurs of hair and arms nearly knocked her over.

"Easy there guys. Watch where you're going." Nicolas was saying to the boys. They paused for a quick moment and then continued to bolt out of the room, through the doors that led to the back courtyard.

"Cam," she spotted the birthday boy making his way to join the other boys. He smiled and came over to see her. "Happy birthday, buddy." She got down to his level to give him a quick hug.

"Is that for me?" His eyes landed on the gift in her hands. She nodded.

"Yes it is." He smiled brightly at her.

"Come on, Cam. They're setting it up." Spencer called from the doorway and Elizabeth's son bolted from Sam's embrace towards the doors. Sam shook her head.

"Don't take offence; they have been waiting for the jumper all week." Her cousin came to help her up.

"Well of course I pale in comparison to a bounce house." Nikolas laughed and gave her a cordial hug.

"How have you been?" He led her further into the parlor.

"Busy," she replied honestly, "There has been so much going on, I feel like I haven't even had time to catch my breath lately." Nicolas nodded in understanding.

"I know the feeling. Between the baby preparations and the wedding plans, I feel like I've been running a marathon." Sam smiled.

"So how are things going?"

"With the baby-good. Elizabeth and I are just anxious for her arrival. For the wedding-not quite as I had hoped. Elizabeth does not wish to be a pregnant bride, so we are waiting until after she's recovered from the birth."

"That's soon. You must be excited."

"Although not as excited as you are, I'm sure." Elizabeth came down the stairs into the parlor. The two women smiled cordially at each other.

"Elizabeth," Sam greeted her, "You look well." She really did. As much as Sam hated to admit it, pregnancy seemed to agree with her-she had a huge smile and a soft glow to her.

"Thank-you. You do too, considering the stress you must be under."

"What stress?" Kristina, Molly and Alexis had finally come into the parlor.

"Well planning a wedding, especially so quickly, has to be very stressful." Sam grimaced.

"A wedding?" Her mother's eyes narrowed, "You're getting married." Sam nodded weakly.

"I was planning on telling you tonight, I swear. It just happened yesterday morning." Her mother and her sisters looked slightly hurt.

"You were with us for dinner last night; you could have said something then." Sam looked down in guilt. In all honestly, she could have and should have told them last night, but a part of her was scared. No matter how much she and Alexis tried to get along, the matter of Jason was still a touchy subject.

"We were having a really good time last night and I just…" Sam trailed off.

"You were scared of my reaction?" Alexis realized.

"A little. I just wanted to wait for a teeny, tiny moment before I said anything." Alexis nodded.

"Do you have a date set?" Sam braced herself for the onslaught.

"A week from tomorrow." Her family was surprisingly silent. Nicolas was the first to break the tension.

"If I may, why so soon? Are there extenuating circumstances?" Sam could see Elizabeth's mouth starting.

"No," she cut her off, "We've just tried the long engagement thing before and it clearly doesn't work for us. We don't want anything to delay us this time."

"Are we invited?" Molly asked in a timid voice. Sam was shocked at her sister's question-she could see the same question on Kristina's face.

"Of course you guys are. You're my family-I couldn't get married without you. I was actually kind of hoping you'd want to be _in_ the wedding-I need some bridesmaids." Molly and Kristina's eyes lit up brightly.

"Yes!" Molly jumped up in the air with her fist pumping.

"I was really hoping you'd all be there to support me but I'd understand if…"

"I would never miss my daughter's wedding." Alexis smiled softly and moved to embrace her daughter when they were interrupted.

"Well isn't this quite touching." A man snarled from the doors that lead to the outside courtyard. Sam recognized him immediately-Valentin Cassadine. He looked every bit the Russian Prince that he was: tall, broad shouldered with a rugged face that would have been handsome had it not held so much malice. His brown eyes were so dark that it was nearly impossible to discern the pupil and his hair, once jet black, was now peppered with grey hairs. But the most terrifying thing about him was that in his hand was a dagger and in front of him, looking truly terrified, were Jake, Cam and Spencer.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Nikolas began in his usual condescending manner.

"I do believe this was a _family_ function," he chuckled roughly at their looks of confusion-except for Sam.

"Get away from my sons." Elizabeth was surprisingly the first to react. The man smiled a twisted smile and obliged, roughly shoving Cam and Jake towards her. She went to retrieve them, and before Sam could stop her, Valentin had traded the boys for Elizabeth.

"Is this better?" He laughed in her face. Sam moved quickly the boys behind her; Alexis did the same with the girls. Sam turned and faced Valentin.

"Just let them go, you and I can work things out. Whatever you want-" He laughed at her suggestion.

"You cannot possible provide me with what I need, niece." Collective gasps could be heard from behind Sam but she continued to keep her eyes trained on the dagger. "I see you have not shared your findings with them," he directed at Sam.

"What is he talking about?" Alexis was getting frantic.

"Do you not wish to tell her-to explain how horrendously aloof they have been?" Sam refused to let him get to her, "Ah well, then allow me to explain. I am Valentin Cassadine, first born of Mikkos and the true head of this family."

"Stavros, my father, was the first son of Mikkos." He narrowed his eyes at Nikolas.

"My birthright was stolen by your father when your grandmother _murdered_ my mother in front of my eyes." Sam groaned. All of her experience in situations like this told her that the longer this drug on the more danger everyone would be in-especially with a slightly unhinged man presiding over the evening.

* * *

"Alright, let's go." Jason slowed the boat and tied it to the dock.

"Wait a second, we have no idea what's going on in there right now." Jason tried to move past Alex, "If you go in there guns blazing, someone is going to get killed. I have done this, more times than I can count. The situation requires tact and deliberate action if you want to control the casualty count."

"Sam and her entire family are in there. We know he's going to make a move-we have to stop him." Alex rubbed his face.

"Sam is the only family I have. I am not going to let something happen to her because you wouldn't wait and do recon first. Jason, their lives depend on us being right and being on time." Jason nodded finally. Alex was right-if they moved too soon there was no way to predict how things would go. Besides the fact that they had no idea what was actually happening inside.

"Okay, what's the layout like?" Alex pulled out a piece of paper and drew a large square on it.

"It depends on where the party is and what room everyone is in." Jason looked at the paper and then at the castle. He picked up a pen and drew in the layout of the first floor. "My guess is that the party would be in the parlor-it's big and it opens out to the courtyard." Alex nodded.

"Well then, let's get some eyes on it." He handed Jason a pair of binoculars and led the way over to the courtyard. They came to a stop when they saw a few members of Nikolas' staff knocked out in the bushes. "Well he's definitely making a move." He and Jason moved to a covered position and used the binoculars to see into the house.

"He's there, in the doorway. Everyone is just standing in front of him-I don't know why." Just then, Valentin pushed the boys into the middle of the room and grabbed Elizabeth. Jason's temper flared-that monster had put his hands on his son. He started to move.

"Just hold on, we need a plan." Alex stopped him. "Is there a side entrance?" Jason nodded. "Go through the side; get to the parlor as quickly as possible but stay back until I get in position. I'll go through the back. We need to try and get everyone out of here alive." Jason ran off to the side of the house, sticking in the shadows. Alex moved as stealthily as possible to give himself access to the courtyard doors.

* * *

"Look, whatever you want, just let them go." Sam was still trying to keep this from turning violent. Valentin scoffed.

"After what they have taken from me?"

"They haven't taken anything from you." Sam tried to reason.

"Lies! They have taken everything from me. My past! My future! My child!"

"It was an accident, I read the report. No one could have prevented-"

"If I were given my true birthright-if I were the Cassadine Prince-I would have been able to watch my son instead of passing out from exhaustion after work; my wife would have had the finest medical care in the world instead of dying from surgical complications. My most prized possessions would not have been ripped from my life, but that was stolen from me. You must understand, Samantha. Have you never wondered about the fate of your daughter had you been born into the Cassadine fold-welcomed with open arms as you deserved to be." The entire room held its breath, waiting for her response.

* * *

_AN: So I know this is short…and sort of an evil way to end things but I really didn't want this part to get too long. The next part will be up shortly. Also, I know the natural tendency for most JaSam shippers is to loathe and vilify Elizabeth, but I just don't see her as a nefarious person. That being said, hold on for what happens in the next chapter...you won't believe your eyes.  
_

_K_


	25. Chapter 25

_AN: So I'm back in school now which is surprisingly good news for you guys as I seem to do my best writing during the lecture parts of my math class. Hopefully my grades won't suffer too badly but it's impossible to pay attention to him-he just drones on about nothing for two hours. Oh well, I hope one of you knows a good math tutor. _

* * *

"So many times," Sam's voice felt like it was stuck in her throat, "There were so many times after I found out who my real family was. I would sit and I would imagine how different everything would have been if I were raised by the-how differently things would have happened. At some point I became obsessed with it, imagining this other life for myself. If I had been raised by my real family, then my daughter would still have been alive," tears began to form in her eyes. Valentin had definitely caught her off guard with his questions-he had clearly done research into the family and was trying to identify with her, "But after a lot of heartbreak and sadness, I realized that imagining the what-ifs wouldn't do anything-nothing can change the past. When I woke up in the morning, I would still be the same person and my daughter would still be gone."

"Don't you see, you and are alike, Samantha. You're life and your birthright were stolen from you," Sam began to shake her head at him, "And no matter your relationship with your family, nothing will ever erase the abuses you have suffered because-"

"I would never want to–and neither should you. Those 'abuses' taught me to cherish my life and the people in it. It's a tragedy that you lost your son and your wife but at least you were lucky enough to know them-regardless of low long they were here. Imagine never knowing them at all." She could see his resolve begin to slip, "Nothing will ever erase your losses but Helena and Mikkos are gone-they can't hurt anyone anymore-and you can choose a different path. Make a new life for yourself-embrace what little family you have left." The arm holding the dagger against Elizabeth began to dip ever so slightly; unfortunately, Nikolas took that as his cue to move towards him. Valentin snapped back sharply, holding tighter to Elizabeth and Spencer.

"I apologize, dear niece, but my heart is too jaded and my revenge is far too close to fruition for me to stop now." Sam brought Cam and Jake to her side and turned them into her body, holding her hands tightly over their eyes. Valentin quickly shifted his gaze to Nikolas, "You will know what it is to have your entire family ripped from you and not have the means to stop it."

Before anyone could do anything else, Valentin swiftly jabbed the dagger into Elizabeth's stomach. Spencer took the opportunity to break free from the madman's grasp and run to his father. Valentin quickly pulled the dagger from her stomach and placed it at her throat. Jason, who had been hiding in the hallway, trying to let Sam talk her uncle down, tore into the parlor pointing his gun directly at the man but unwilling to shoot with Elizabeth in the crosshairs.

"Let her go." He ground out; Valentin smiled a twisted grin.

"Ah, Mr. Morgan. I was wondering when I would be seeing you. Come no closer or I will end her life." Jason stopped in front of Alexis but behind Sam and the boys. "Cleary you still have some lingering affection for this woman-although it is understandable considering her position as the mother of your only child." Sam and Jason tensed-the man had _really_ done his homework before coming to town.

"Please, Valentin, let her go," Sam pleaded, "She'll die if you don't." All of the children in the room were already crying and panicking. A pool of blood was beginning to form underneath Elizabeth. Out of the corner of her eye, Sam saw Jason nod almost imperceptibly.

"That is the point, niece. The Cassadine Prince will have everything stripped from him just as I-" Several things happened at once. Jason shouted at Alexis to get down as he tackled Sam and the boys to the ground. At the same time, a bullet ripped through Valentin's head.

"Get the kids out of here." Alex yelled as he came running into the room, sliding to a stop next to Elizabeth. Jason and Sam quickly carried Cam and Jake out of the room. Alexis recovered quickly after them and ushered Molly and Kristina out behind them. Sam came back in, already on the phone with 911.

"A medivac is on its way. It's ten minutes out." Alex nodded, applying pressure to Elizabeth's wound with his hands.

"Get them out of here," he nodded at Nikolas and Spencer who were still rooted in their spots, "And get me some towels and warm water." Sam picked up her young cousin and led his almost catatonic father from the room.

"My baby," Elizabeth gasped out.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get you and your daughter out of here safely." Elizabeth shook her head.

"I've lost too much blood…You need to deliver…" Her breathing was labored and shallow. Alex shook his head.

"You aren't in labor-you're not dilated. I can't deliver the baby." Elizabeth managed to look him squarely in the eyes. "No," he shook his head vehemently, "I won't do it."

"It can't wait. You can save my baby."

"And you'll die. Just wait for the medivac." She grabbed his arm.

"It's too far away," she pleaded with him, "We won't survive the trip." Alex knew she was probably right. The chopper was still a few minutes away-plus another fifteen minutes to the hospital.

"I only have the most basic field medicine training. I don't know how-"

"Deep, vertical incision. Pull the baby out and cut the cord." Sam had just come back into the room with the supplies.

"I need a bottle of vodka." He pulled a knife from his belt.

"You can't be serious." Sam paled. Elizabeth grabbed her ankle lightly.

"Please, Sam." Elizabeth was crying now. Sam took a deep breath and nodded, going to retrieve the alcohol.

"Here," she handed her brother the bottle.

"Brace her shoulders so she doesn't move." Sam nodded. Alex looked at his sister, "Alright, I need you both to close your eyes and not look until I tell you, do you understand?" Sam was transfixed by the knife in his hands. "Samantha Léan* McCall, do you understand me?" Alex hoped the use of her middle name would snap her out of it. (*Pronounced like Leanne)

"I understand." She closed her eyes tightly.

"Are you ready?" Alex gave Elizabeth a towel to bite down on to hold in her screams so the children wouldn't hear. She nodded, "Alright." Alex took a very deep breath and opened the knife. He dipped it in the vodka and then poured a generous amount on her exposed belly. He made the incision as quickly and steadily as he possibly could; Elizabeth writhed in pain but Sam held her still. Alex threw the knife aside and used his hands to open her stomach more fully. Once he had an opening, he pulled the baby from the womb; Elizabeth was passed out from the pain. "Okay Sam, she's not breathing." Sam immediately opened her eyes. "I need you to come over here." Sam crawled over to the baby and started CPR on the infant. Alex reached for some string and tied the umbilical cord so he could cut it. Just as he made the cut, he heard the baby take its first breath and start to wail. Sam quickly wrapped the baby in a blanket just as Jason led the EMTs inside. Alex moved aside so they could work quickly.

"Let's get her out of here." The man said as he loaded her on the gurney. "Is she alright?" he asked of the baby.

"I think so," Sam nodded, "But you should take her anyways." The man nodded and took the baby out through the door along with Elizabeth.

"Is anyone else injured?" Another of the EMTs asked. Sam looked around the room.

"He's already dead." She told the paramedic as he leaned over Valentin's body.

"The police are on the way-nobody should go anywhere." He ran out to the chopper so they could leave.

"It's okay." Jason was running his hand down Sam's back to try and calm her-she was staring unfocussed at the blood and chaos on the floors.

"Take her out of the room." Jason nodded and picked her up in his arms. Alex followed behind them.

"Did the chopper leave?" Alex nodded to Alexis as he joined them near the launch.

"The police are here." Alex nodded to the ship that was docking. Mac was the first out, followed by Detectives Rodriguez and Falconeri.

"What in the hell happened?" He took in everyone's appearances. Nikolas had been pushed onto the chopper with Elizabeth and their daughter, leaving Alexis with Spencer, Jake, Cam, Molly and Kristina-all of who were crying hysterically. Jason was still holding Sam like a child and Alex was covered in blood.

"I'll explain inside." Alex headed towards the parlor. The police followed him.

A short while later, Mac came back out. "We're going to escort you guys to the hospital. You all need to be checked out." He started ushering them towards the waiting police boat.

"Mac-" Alexis tried to speak.

"We can get statements later, Alexis. You all need to be examined." Although Mac knew there was nothing physically wrong with them, he knew that at least of few of the kids would need a sedative to calm down. Alex and the detectives made their way out of the house too. "We'll need you to come down to the station and make a statement today-and we'll need your clothes." Alex nodded and got onto the boat with everyone else.

* * *

"Sam," Jason called from somewhere off in the distance. She was sitting in the ER cubicles with her sisters as they were being treated for shock. "Sam," he tried again, finally getting her to notice him.

"Yeah?"

"How are they?" He kneeled down next to her.

"They are in complete shock. They haven't been able to say anything yet-they just sit around like zombies." Jason nodded. He could see the tears forming in his fiancé's eyes.

"How are you holding up?" She and Jake were his main concerns.

"How's Jake?" They hadn't even been able to discuss the ramifications of Valentin's revelation.

"He's asleep. He has some bruises on his arm but it's nothing to worry about. The doctors are more concerned with his mental state right now. He and Cam were sedated." Sam nodded.

"Any news on Elizabeth and the baby?"

"The baby is fine-perfectly healthy…" He paused and took her hands in his. "Elizabeth was declared DOA. She didn't make it." Sam was now sobbing heavily. Jason pulled her from the chair and into his arms on the floor.

* * *

"Here," Rodriguez handed Alex a set of sweats and a t-shirt to wear, "I didn't have anything else." Alex nodded and began to strip his shirt and pants off for the evidence bags.

"Is that it?" Alex pulled on the clothes Cruz had given him. He had already given his statement, undergone tests for GSR, had pictures taken and had surrendered his firearm to forensics.

"Yeah, you can go. The DA and Mac are going to meet later to decide officially if they're going to press charges. But in all honesty, I highly doubt they will-it's a pretty clear case of justifiable homicide." Alex nodded demurely.

"You know how to reach me if you need to." Alex walked out of the police department. He went to reach for his keys when he realized that he didn't have them-he didn't even drive there. He was about to put his hands back in his pocket when he noticed the blood. He had only been able to wash his hands once since giving his clothes to forensics. Elizabeth's blood was still embedded underneath his nails-he couldn't seem to rid himself of it. He took off at a run suddenly-needing to be as far away from everything as he possible could. After about a dozen blocks, he slowed as he reached an old, decrepit apartment building. He walked into the lobby and knocked on the first dooe. It was opened after a moment.

"Alexander," Kate took in his appearance and pulled him into her apartment immediately. The inside of the building bore no resemblance to the outside, Alex noticed. Kate had probably chosen it for just that purpose. Inside, it was bright and homey. "Clearly you've been keeping tabs on me," she hadn't given him her address; "I assume that's not your blood." Alex shook his head.

"There's this…this feeling you get when you literally have some else's blood on your hands. It's dirty and it feels like you've somehow been…" He trailed off.

"Tainted." Kate finished for him. She knew the feeling as well as he did-if not better.

"I know it's just blood but I…" Kate grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her bedroom. She took him into her bathroom and turned on the shower. Kate caressed Alex's face gently and then quickly undressed herself. She checked the temperature in the shower-hot-and then undressed Alex, ripping his shirt over his head. She led him into the shower and got in behind him, letting the hot mist rain down on him. Alex could feel the slight burning on his skin but couldn't bring himself to care; and then he felt her hands on his back, scrubbing the day away. His hot tears soon began to mingle with the water as he moved to slide down the side wall of the shower, choosing to sit on the floor of the shower, sobbing in Kate's lap.

* * *

_AN II: So I had seriously considered placing a ransom on this chapter. You know, at least ten reviews before I posted the second part. Fortunately for you I decided not to be completely evil and post it at the same time. I'm really interested in what you guys think. _

_K_


	26. Chapter 26

Alex groaned as he stretched his body across the bed-a few of his joints creaked and popped in protest at the movement. He sat up and took in his surroundings. Kate's room was sparsely furnished-just a bed, a dresser and a nightstand all made of oak-but still had a surprisingly homey feel. He retrieved his boxers and sweats from the bathroom and went in search of Kate. As soon as he entered the living room, his nose was assailed with the scent of something burning. He walked into the kitchen to find her flipping what was supposed to be a pancake into the garbage.

"Not as easy as it looks, huh." Alex laughed. During their previous encounters, Alex had done most if not all of the cooking.

"I cannot seem to cook this properly. It either burns or doesn't cook all the way through." She let out a frustrated sigh. She was standing in front of the stove, already dressed for the day.

"You have to have the temperature right and there has to be enough oil in the pan." He moved over to help her. He set the flame to medium-high and added some olive oil. "Pour the batter." She scooped some out and put it in the pan. Alex moved right behind her and put his arms on either side of her waist. He put the spatula in her right hand. "Wait until the top bubbles-but not too much," his body was flush against hers and his mouth was right next to her ear, sending chills down her body, "And then flip it over."

"That's all there is to it?" She had to concentrate with him so close. Kate felt him nod before she flipped the pancake-it was a perfect golden brown. She shook her head and plated the pancake before starting the next one. "There's coffee." She nodded to the counter. Alex pulled away from her and went to pour himself a cup.

"Thank-you," he said quietly, his mood suddenly somber, "I was a mess last night and I don't think I would have made it through without you." He sipped his coffee. She shrugged nonchalantly, not wanting to make it into a big deal.

"I seem to remember a few occasions where the roles were reversed." Alex smiled and took the plates to the table to eat.

"I like your place, by the way," he said after they had finished eating, "It suits you."

"I enjoy it." The trill of her phone stopped their light conversation. "Driscoll," she picked up the receiver from the kitchen counter, "Really? Any casualties?" Kate nodded as she listened to the person on the other end of the phone. "Thanks for the heads up." Alex raised his eyebrows as she replaced the receiver on the phone cradle.

"Anything interesting?" She sighed and returned to the table.

"There was a raid on one of Morgan's shipments late last night-well a few hours ago I guess," she noticed it was barely even 6:00am, "The crew of the ship was killed and the boat was sunk into the harbor."

"How many dead?"

"They've found three but the police still need to double check the crew manifest." Alex nodded absently and stood up from the table.

"I need to get to the hospital-talk to Jason." He put their plates in the sink to soak.

"What are you planning to do?"

"What needs to be done." Kate nodded-she had a pretty good idea of what he was planning.

"You'll need a proper pair of pants first." Alex grimaced as he looked down at the sweats that Cruz had given him last night. He really didn't want to have to go out in public in them again.

"My car is at the marina-it has everything I need in it." Kate nodded and grabbed her keys from the kitchen table.

"Let's go." Alex followed her out the front door. The drive to the marina was quiet but comfortable. He remembered how easy things were with Kate. They had to talk about things he didn't want to and he never felt the need to explain himself. Olivia was nice, but she didn't have the capacity to understand things that she hadn't experienced for herself. Kate pulled into the marina and parked next to his car. Alex got out quickly and unlocked his trunk. He spotted a well covered corner and went to change.

"You keep an entire garment bag in the trunk of your car?" Alex had just finished buttoning up his shirt and walked back to the cars.

"Among other things-never know when you're going to need something in a pinch." He went over to his trunk and lifted a piece of the carpet to reveal a lock box. He opened it and pulled out a gun and a clip. He slid in the clip and loaded the chamber-it was an exact replica of the piece he had surrendered to the police yesterday.

"I see that Ash sill does good work, despite his age." Kate too knew the gun runner.

"He still isn't cheap, either." Alex tied his shoes and then stood up to look at himself in the reflection of her car. The garment bag in his trunk contained a black suit, with a kelly green shirt, black sock and dress shoes, and a black silk tie. He slid the gun into the waistband of his pants. When he began to fiddle with the tie, Kate stepped in.

"You never could do this properly." She laughed at his sour expression.

"I can almost get it."

"What was it that you used to tell me? Oh, 'Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades'." He smiled.

"We'll then I guess you'll have to teach me properly sometime." She used her hands to smooth down the front of his suit.

"What do you intend to do?"

"Well I assume Zacharra is behind the attack?" She nodded.

"It won't ever be proven but my contacts are very reliable."

"Well then, I'll be solving a few problems today." She nodded.

"Be careful, and let me know if you need any assistance." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and got into the driver's seat of her car. Alex touched his hand to his cheek for a second before getting into his car and driving to GH.

* * *

"Boss," Max called softly to his boss. Jason and Sam and spent the entire evening in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for news on their loved ones. Jason tried to extract himself from Sam's grasp without waking but was unsuccessful.

"Jase?" She was still really groggy.

"Max is here; I need to check in with him." She nodded and got up to stretch her body out.

"I'll go check on Alexis and the girls then." He hugged her close and kissed on the top of her head before she left.

"What's up?" Max shuffled nervously on his feet.

"One of our boats got hit last night. It was just coffee, but the whole thing, ship included, is at the bottom of the harbor now. They killed the whole crew." Jason shook his head sadly-it was only three men but it should never have happened. Johnny needed to be stopped. This was the last thing he needed, especially considering the level to which Zacharra was willing to escalate things.

"Get Bernie and Diane on this-they need to make sure the families are notified and taken care of-full pensions. I'll be at the office as soon as I can; we'll figure things out then." Max nodded and left quickly, already on the phone with Diane.

"I take it you know." Alex came walking into the room. Jason was rolling his neck to alleviate some of the tension.

"Know what?" He tried his best Stone Cold look.

"Your ship was sunk and your men were killed a few hours ago." Jason sighed.

"You can't have anything to do with this." Alex pulled Jason towards one of the empty conference rooms.

"It already concerns me. For all we know, Johnny might decide to make his next move against Sam or Spinelli…maybe even Jake." Jason gave him a blank stare. "He needs to be dealt with properly and none of it can point back to you in any way."

"I can't let-"

"We are running out of time, Jason. That deal has an expiration date and this is the perfect opportunity. I can fix your Johnny problem and cement myself in as your enforcer."

"Sam-"

"Will be pissed, but let's face it: she was always going to be upset. This needs to happen. I'll talk to her if you want me to, but you know and I know, this is how it has to happen." Jason was still hesitating, so Alex went for the kill. "Jake and Sam need you. You can't retaliate and still be here for them. Let me do this."

"Talk to Sam first." Alex nodded and left to find his sister.

Jason sighed and slumped down in one of the chairs in the room. Sam was going to be pissed no matter what, but Alex was right-this was the best solution for everyone involved. Unfortunately, the best solution also happened to condemn all of them to the mob for the foreseeable future. At least everyone knew what they were getting into from the beginning. Still, Jason felt guilty-it was a similar situation to him and Sonny. Jason was letting Alex step in and take the brunt of the violence and danger so that he could have a family and try to keep them safe. Granted, Alex was a lot older than Jason had been and Alex had absolutely no disillusions about the mob and the lifestyle he was getting into, it still didn't sit quite right with Jason. Sam's brother was offering him what he wanted most, a way to reduce the violence but still preserve the empire that his friend had built long ago. Jason shook his head as the true cost of the life he led fell on him. All of Sonny's kids had been affected by the mob in some way-Michael most of all. Was it really fair to inflict that on Jake? A large part of Jason's subconscious reminded him that he and Sonny were nothing alike-Sonny was erratic and often went off half-cocked. Jason on the other hand was controlled, almost to a fault sometimes, he agonized over every decision and he felt the consequences dearly. He wanted it-a life with Sam and Jake-but he also feared the very real potential consequences. He sighed in determination-he knew what he wanted. It would be difficult and he would be destroyed if he lost it, but he decided he could no longer live without it.

* * *

"How are they?" Alex asked from his spot behind his sister; he had been watching her for the last few minutes. She was standing outside of her sister's room, waiting for the doctor to finish examining them.

"They're being released. There isn't anything physically wrong with them-just shock." Alex nodded.

"How are you doing?" Sam shrugged. "Seriously, how are you?"

"It's not the first time I've seen a person die, Alex." He moved to stand beside her.

"No, but I'm assuming it's the first time you've had to help with an emergency c-section and then give a baby CPR." She swallowed hard.

"It brought back a lot of memories," she began to tear up, "But I just keep focusing on the fact that she made it, Elizabeth's baby lived." He pulled her over to the chairs that lined the hallway.

"You're entitled to feel the way that you feel, kiddo." They sat down next to each other.

"Part of me is jealous of her-she had three beautiful children-another part of me is sad because she won't see them grow up and a pretty big part of me still hates her, honestly. She caused so much damage I my life."

"No she didn't. You and Jason caused the damage. She may have been a catalyst, but it was always going to happen." He put his arm around her, "But that's over with now; you and Jason are solid and you're getting married. Don't doubt your happiness just because you feel guilty." Sam shrugged, unconvinced.

"How are you doing? I can't imagine it was easy for you either." Alex stared at his feet.

"I need to tell you some things," Sam turned into his body to face him, "That woman, the Fed from last night, her name is Katherine Driscoll. I knew her when I was working overseas-we were together." Sam nodded, understanding who this woman was to her brother, "She's handling my discharge from the Corps."

"You need an FBI agent to handle your discharge?" Sam was confused.

"Because most of my missions were classified, I have to be debriefed and sign non-disclosure agreements."

"So that was the meeting you had to take?" Alex nodded, "But?" Sam could tell he was hesitating.

"It didn't go quite as expected." Alex rubbed his face roughly, "They weren't very keen on letting me go."

"They can't do that! You served your term and-"

"The NSA can do pretty much whatever they want." Sam swallowed harshly.

"What do they want you to do?" She was afraid to really know the answer. After everything that's been happening, losing her brother for some undercover mission was unthinkable; she had just gotten him back.

"They threatened to take me away. Then they threatened to do the same to you and your family if I didn't comply. You have to understand that this was the only way-"

"What do you have to do?" She was tired of him dancing around the answer.

"I have to work for Jason."

"They want you to infiltrate his organization?" Sam could never choose between her brother and the love of her life.

"No. They want me to plant myself in his organization and use my position for their advantage. Mostly, they want someone on the inside who can track other organizations-especially the ones backed by radical terrorist groups."

"So they say jump and you say, 'how high'?"

"Sort of, although I did have some leverage. I managed to get something out of this deal." He pulled a set of papers from the inside of his jacket and handed them to her.

"Are these real?" Sam kept re-reading the same lines in the documents. Alex nodded.

"Guaranteed immunity, plus I'll be around to make sure things stay safe for everyone involved."

"You have to join the mob." Alex shrugged.

"I wish I could say this was the worst thing that I've ever done, but in all honesty, it isn't. I have done a lot of things I'm not proud of in the name of my country. Becoming a mobster to protect my little sister and her family, the easiest decision I've ever made."

Sam just stared at her brother for a few minutes. He made everything sound so easy. Join the mob, get immunity, be safe. But Sam knew better. If they did this, there was no getting out, not that there really was before. Alex would continue to be a puppet for the NSA and Jason would still be in the mob. Sam sighed heavily, Jason and Alex had both made decisions when they were younger and they were choosing to follow through-even now. _Noble, self-sacrificing idiots, _Sam didn't want to agree but knew she had no choice.

"Do you promise me that you'll stay safe?"

"I am going to do everything in my considerable power to make things as safe as possible. Keeping that in mind, I'll be his enforcer; the brunt of the violence will be on my shoulders. I can't guarantee I won't get hurt..."

"But you know what you're doing." Sam finished for him. Alex nodded.

"There are no sure things in life; sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith." He pulled her into his arms. "I have to go."

"Work?" Alex laughed; her face reminded him of when they were younger and he would have to go back to duty. She would have the saddest look on her face but her eyes held all the pride in the world.

"I'll see you soon." He kissed her on the top of her head and left the hospital.

"The girls are awake." Alexis popped her head into the hallway. Sam stood up and made her way into the girl's room.

"Hey," Sam called softly as she approached Kristina and Molly's beds, "Are you guys hungry? I'm sure I can rustle up something-maybe call Kelly's and get a to-go order." Kristina nodded timidly. "How about you, Molls?"

"How can you act like nothing happened?" Sam sighed and took the stool that was between their beds. She placed her hands over Molly's.

"I'm not trying to pretend like everything's okay-it's not-but you still need to eat. How about a grilled cheese?" Molly nodded reluctantly.

"I'll go and get it," Alexis offered. Sam nodded.

"I know you guys have a lot of questions so I'm going to do my best to answer them for you."

"Are Ms. Webber and her baby alright?" _Of course that's the first question._ Sam sighed and looked Kristina in the eyes.

"The baby is fine; she's in the nursery." She grabbed Krissy's hands, "Elizabeth was hurt very badly and she had lost a lot of blood. The paramedics did everything they could, but they couldn't save her. She died on the way to the hospital." Tears began to leak from all of their eyes.

"Why did that man want to hurt our family?" Molly was still too young to fully comprehend everything she had heard.

"That man was sick. Something very bad happened to him and he never recovered."

"Helena killed his mother." Sam nodded at Kristina.

"But that's not why he was so angry. Technically, he was mom's oldest half-brother and…" Sam didn't know how to explain things to them.

"Helena didn't want him in our family."

"Helena wanted her son Stavros to be the Cassadine Prince. Valentin, he was angry because he believed that if things had been different, then his son and his wife would have lived. I think that he had suffered so much loss that it clouded his thinking. He wasn't able to see things rationally and he blamed Nikolas and our family because he has everything that Valentin should have had. I don't know if this is making any sense." Molly looked at Sam questioningly.

"He asked you if you felt the same." Ultimately, Sam felt sad for Valentin; he had gotten a raw deal in life and had suffered a lot of loss. But right in that moment, she had hated him with a passion. The girls were too young to remember what had happened with her daughter and Sam had never particularly felt like opening up to them.

"There are a lot of things in my life that I wish hadn't happen, but I know that ultimately, they led me to who I am today. I like who I am and I love my family very much. My losses and my experiences have taught me to love as much as I can, for as long as I can." Sam squeezed both of their hands tightly. They smiled lightly back at her. Sam knew it would take a lot of time and a lot of talking for them to really understand everything that had happened, but she also knew that kids were resilient and her sisters in particular were some of the most resilient.

* * *

_AN: I know, mostly filler but I didn't want to keep you guys hanging anymore. Anyways, sorry for the long delay, I've actually been working very hard on this story. Hopefully the next chapter or two will be out by Wednesday. Read and Review. _

_-K_


	27. Chapter 27

"How are they?" Jason asked Dr. Scorpio as she exited the hospital room; he had been watching through the window as Robin examined Elizabeth's sons. She smiled sympathetically at him-by now everyone in town knew of his and Jake's relationship.

"Physically, they're fine. Psychologically, I think they're too young to really understand what happened. And Nikolas is so distraught; he's barely left Spencer and the baby's sides." Nikolas' children were in a room at the end of the corridor.

"So they've been alone?"

"Most of the staff has been taking turns sitting with them. They haven't really responded to anyone yet." Jason nodded in understanding. Loosing your mother at such a young age was traumatic enough but coupled with the violent manner in which she died, the boys were going to have a difficult time coping with her death.

"So what's going to happen to them?" Robin shrugged.

"DCFS has already been called because Elizabeth didn't have a will prepared. The only biological relatives they have are Steve, Audrey and Elizabeth's sister Sarah." Jason could tell she was going to ask him about his intentions so he quickly excused himself.

"I have to find Sam." He walked towards the elevator. He pressed the button for the second floor so he could get a cup of coffee; he pulled out his phone once the elevator started moving.

"Yes," His attorney answered the phone.

"I need you to meet me at the hospital. Now." He hung up before she could argue with him or threaten to charge him double for calling her away from a shoe sale or from some inappropriate thing with Max that he really didn't want to hear about. He got his coffee and sat at a table in the back of the cafeteria.

* * *

"Spinelli, I need you to do something for me." Alex walked into the restaurant and immediately spotted the young hacker at the counter, waiting obediently for Jason.

"The Jackal is at your service, Lazarus." Alex sighed internally-apparently the name was going to stick.

"I need you to make this-and I'll need it on three separate flash drives." Alex handed the hacker a piece of paper with his specifications on it. Spinelli gave the older man a suspicious look.

"Why would the Lazarus need such a tool?" Alex shrugged slightly.

"Look, if you can't do it I understand; I'll just get someone else who-"

"The Jackal can do it; I simply do not see the need for it. What are the Lazarus' plans for said program?" Alex felt a little guilty about manipulating Spinelli but he knew that it was for the greater good.

"I need you to trust me and not ask questions right now." Spinelli recognized the tone-it was the same one Jason used when he was deathly serious.

"The Jackal can have it for you tomorrow." Alex's phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Two hours." He corrected as he made his way back towards the door, "I'm counting on you, Spinelli." Alex walked through the door and pulled his phone out. "Did you get what I needed?"

"_Well hello to you too, and of course I got it. It should be there within the hour._" Alex shook his head.

"Hello, Kate, and thank-you. Can I assume you'll be present for this meeting?" She laughed.

"_Well I'm not going to leave the planning to you. I've been around for a few of your half-assed plans and I don't intend to subject anyone else to it._" Alex scoffed.

"I guess we'll see how half-assed my plans are tonight."

* * *

"Now what was so urgent that you pulled me away from other important matters?" Diane had still been working on setting up trusts for the families of the men who had died on the ship.

"I need to know what's going to happen to Jake." She eyed her client carefully.

"Well that depends, did Elizabeth have a will?"

"No. And her only living relatives are her brother, her half-sister and her grandmother."

"Well Mrs. Hardy is elderly-she's not an ideal guardian for two children under the age of six. What do you know about her sister?" Jason thought back.

"She lives in California. She's a single mom with two kids." Diane nodded.

"The courts are less likely to grant her custody. She has two children already and because she is a single mother, her home would be considered unstable. Dr. Webber would be the most likely candidate for custody-assuming that Lucky isn't coming back." Jason shook his head.

"Spinelli looked into his records, he's on some deep-cover assignment in another country. He signed away his parental rights before he left."

"Well then, Nikolas would have the best shot at custody. It was well documented that he and Elizabeth were planning to marry plus he is the biological father of one of the children. Courts like to keep siblings together if at all possible. What's going on Jason? Do you want to file for custody?"

"The truth came out-everyone who was there knows that Jake is my son. It's already all over town."

"Does this change anything? Are you planning on applying for custody?" Jason sighed.

"What are my chances?" Diane considered it.

"The courts tend to favor the biological parents, plus Sam and you are going to be married and can provide a stable home life. Nikolas wouldn't have any rights because the papers Lucky signed will be invalidated as soon as your name is placed on the birth certificate. The only one who can possibly contest would be Steve Webber."

"I don't want to rip Jake's family apart."

"It's a little late for that, Jason. His mother was killed right in front of him. As far as I know, Lucky has been MIA since the paternity test said Nikolas was the father or Elizabeth's baby. Jake has only been living with his uncle for two months. If you're going to do this, you need to do it now. Kids can handle things that would destroy most adults, but they need consistency. I can have this matter settled in a few days if you want." Jason took a deep breath to steady himself.

"I want you to start the paperwork for a paternity test; I also want to talk to Steve Webber as soon as we can." Diane nodded and left the cafeteria. Jason made his way back to the elevators so he could find Elizabeth's brother. He noticed Sam coming out of the stairwell just as the elevator opened up. He walked over to her and put his arms around her.

"Hey," she fell into his embrace.

"How are the girls doing?"

"They're being discharged right now. I just needed some coffee." He nodded and took her over to get a cup. They sat down at a table in the corner.

"I talked to Diane." Now was probably not the best time to spring this on her but she needed to know as soon as possible. Sam nodded and sipped her coffee. "I'm getting a court order for a paternity test. After the results come back, we can apply for custody. Diane said it should only take a few days to resolve." Sam continued to stare blankly at her coffee.

"That's soon." Jason could see the emotions turning in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sam avoided eye contact. "Sam?"

"I'm…I don't know…scared I guess." Jason trained his eyes on her.

"About what?" Sam took a deep breath but kept her eyes on the coffee in front of her.

"I don't know if I can do this." She admitted softly. Jason slid his chair closer to her.

"Raise Jake?" He was confused. Sam had told him that she would support his decision no matter what but now that it was actually becoming a reality, she seemed unsure.

"I love that little boy Jason-even if he weren't your son. The time that I spent with him was so amazing and I fell in love with him. But it's all…wrong."

"I don't understand." He reached for her hands and she turned to face him.

"I hated Elizabeth; for a long time I blamed her for everything that happened between us. Eventually, I realized that we were all responsible for our own decisions and actions-_I_ am responsible for what _I_ did. I watched an innocent child be kidnapped and did nothing." She looked disgusted with herself.

"You were in a bad place, Sam, and Elizabeth and I put you there." She frowned.

"No, I put myself there. I was hurt and I acted out-I did the most unforgivable things."

"I forgave you a long time ago-so did Elizabeth. You have more than made up for what happened. You saved Jake and you spent so much time with the boys when you were with Lucky. You developed a good relationship with him." Sam shook her head.

"It was all a lie. Jake's a little kid; he trusts the adults in his life implicitly. What happens when he finds out what I did to him? It won't matter what kind of relationship he and I have, he is going to hate me. I don't think I can handle that, Jason." Jason pulled her into his chest and held her. He knew Sam was scared. She was prepared to take Jake in and love him like her own but Jason knew that if Jake ever rejected her, Sam would be crushed-especially because she couldn't have children of her own. Sam moved out of Jason's embrace.

"We can explain it to him when he's old enough to understand. It won't be easy but we can make it work. You have proven time and again that you love Jake and would lay down you your life to protect him." Sam moved her eyes to his briefly; she saw sincerity and love in them, "Sam, I love you and I trust you with everything I have. I want you to help me raise my son. I want to be a family with you and Jake." She swirled the last remaining drops of her coffee. He made a compelling argument but her emotions were still raw because of everything that had happened recently.

"His mother will always be Elizabeth; for all her faults, she was a good mother and I can't-"

"Elizabeth is gone. I'm not asking you to replace her," he took her hands in his, "I'm asking you to help raise my son-just like I was going to help you raise your daughter. I have always thought you would make an amazing mother-and my opinion is never going to change." Sam smiled lightly. Jason could see the hesitance in her eyes but he knew that this was something that she was just going to have to work out on her own-and it would take some time.

"Okay." She would take a leap of faith and try; she just hoped that it wouldn't fail like so many other things in her past. Jason smiled and kissed the top of her head. "But what about Cam?" Jason paused-he hadn't really thought about it, "After everything that's happened we can't rip him away from his brother. They are the only constant in each other's lives life right now." He pondered the situation.

"Elizabeth didn't have a will on record and Steve Webber is the only person biologically related to all of the children." Sam nodded.

"Then I think we need to have a conversation with Steve and Nik-although Nik probably won't be able to talk right now." Jason nodded-he had seen Nikolas briefly. The man had been slumped in the chair in his children's hospital room; he was trying to split his time between checking on his daughter and quelling Spencer's nightmares.

"I think we should wait to talk to Nikolas until after we talk to Steve." Sam nodded in agreement. She put her hand in his and led the way to the elevators.

* * *

"Does everyone understand?" Alex asked the group assembled before him. Everyone present nodded their assent. "0100 hours-make yourselves scarce until then." The group dispersed.

"Actually not a terrible plan, assuming you can actually pull everything off accordingly." Alex chuckled at Kate's back-handed compliment.

"Well I don't foresee any problems-assuming you haven't forgotten how to do this." Kate smirked.

"This is something I excel at, thank you very much." She pushed him out of the way and headed towards the work bench. The meeting had been held in Alex's garage space. "Do you have my supplies?" Alex nodded to the plain brown bags that were sitting on the table. "Well then, just sit back and enjoy the show." He smiled at the light in her eyes. This was what she had been trained for and she was amazing at it.

"We need three of each," he reminded her. She nodded and began measuring out ingredients.

* * *

"So what's going to happen?" Sam and Jason were meeting with Diane in one of the empty conference rooms on the pediatrics floor.

"Because Elizabeth didn't have a standing custody arrangement, Cam and Jake are technically considered wards of the state until everything is finalized."

"They have to go to a foster home?" Jason didn't want the boys to have to stay with a stranger, especially not after losing their mother the way they did.

"No, Steve Webber is assuming temporary custody of them. But because they are minors and are involved in legal proceedings, they've been assigned a guardian ad litem and a social worker. The guardian ad litem is going to act in the legal interest of the boys and the social worker is going to make sure whatever home environment they go to is stable and safe. Mrs. Wilson-their guardian-has already been served with a court order for the paternity test. You have to stop by soon and give your sample as well. After they come back-we'll file for custody." Jason nodded.

"What's going to happen to Cam?" Sam was still concerned for the other little boy-she had developed a good relationship with him as well.

"I assume Dr. Webber will be filing for custody."

"So we're going to split them up?" Diane grimaced.

"There are a lot of extenuating circumstances in this particular case: three children, each with a different father. One is dead and the other two are trying to file for sole custody of their respective child."

"What do we do?"

"Well, I've set a meeting for tomorrow afternoon with Dr. Webber, Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Gray-the social worker. It's just going to be an informal meeting to determine where we go from here."

"Nikolas won't be involved?" Sam was worried about her cousin but she was already dealing with so much that she hadn't been able to stop in and see him yet.

"Paternity was already established so the baby was released to Nikolas. I believe they are staying at the Metro-Court." She paused for a moment. Sam had almost completely forgotten about the baby. She'd been concerned about the baby when it was born but after she had been assured that everything was fine, Sam had moved onto the next crisis.

"What's her name?" Diane looked confused, "Elizabeth's daughter-what's her name?"

"I believe the formal title is Princess Nikolette Elizabeth Mikkosovna Cassadine." Sam nodded-it was quite a mouthful.

"We should go," Jason put an arm around his fiancé, "It's late and you need to rest. We'll deal with tomorrow when it comes." Diane nodded to them.

"Don't forget to stop at the lab." Jason waved and led Sam out to the elevators.

* * *

"Is everything ready?" Kate was packing three bags when Alex walked back into the garage. He handed her a cup of coffee.

"Yes, as per your directions."

"Good." Kate quirked an eye as she took the coffee from him.

"I haven't seen you dressed like that in a while." Alex shrugged-he was wearing a set of black BDU's and black combat boots.

"Well technically, this is an op-just not a government sanctioned one."

"Pity, you won't have any fun weapons then." Alex shook his head.

"Not quite." He went over to the wall that his tall tool chest was in front of. He rolled the chest away from the wall and removed the paneling from the wall behind it. Once the paneling was removed, a doorway was visible. Alex gestured into the room. Kate moved into the room cautiously. She whistled as she took in the well-stocked armory.

"What did this set you back?" She ran her fingers down the racks of guns. There were semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, sub-machine guns and an entire rack of assault rifles. On one of the walls were shelves with plastic explosives and detonators and even a few grenades.

"I just had some stuff transferred from one of my other slips." Spies used slips as a refuge in case things went bad-fast. They were stocked with medical supplies, cash, passports, weapons-anything that could possibly be needed to flee the country and start a new life. He had used special movers to transfer his things from the storage locker in Virginia.

"Orsino," a man called from outer room.

"One sec." He called out and the pulled a few assault rifles from the rack. "Can you please grab a few mags please?" She grabbed six extra clips for the rifles and followed him out of the armory.

"I wasn't aware it was Christmas." A large man laughed as he saw what Alex was carrying-six FN P90 assault rifles.

"Don't say I never gave you anything, Nichols." He held his hands out so each of the men could grab one. "Everyone set?" All six of the men nodded their heads. They were dressed similarly to Alex in black BDU's, but theirs had a silver insignia on the right breast pocket-a snake's head.

"Shape charges and incendiary devices are in the bags. You have your assignments-get into position." The men loaded their weapons, grabbed the bags from the bench and headed towards the exit. "Remember-four minutes." They nodded and left.

"I told you they were good." Kate helped Alex put the paneling back up and rolled the chest back in front of the wall.

"I honestly didn't think you could find a competent mercenary outfit this side of Eastern Europe." Kate laughed.

"I ran across them during my time with the Bureau. Nichols runs a very good operation."

"Although officially, I'm sure you have no knowledge of its existence." She grinned.

"What mercenaries?" She pulled her keys from her pocket and fiddled with them. "Do you have your alibi set?" He nodded. "Good because I don't have the resources to be getting you out of jail all the time."Alex smiled brightly. "Please be careful, Alexander, I haven't even gotten used to seeing you again yet." She tried for a joking tone but Alex could hear the worry in her voice.

"You'll be sick of me in no time." He walked over to her and closed the distance between them, kissing her soundly on the lips. He pulled away after a few seconds. "Until tomorrow, Kate." She grinned sheepishly and turned to leave.

* * *

_AN: Okay so I wasn't entirely happy with this chapter but I don't think I was going to get it any better than it is. Anyways, it might be while until my next update as this flu that I've contracted seems to be really persistent. I'll post again when I can. _

_K_


	28. Chapter 28

_AN: Okay so I know this is WAY overdue, and I honestly have nothing to offer other than my apologies. I have been muse-less as of late plus my nephew 'misplaced' my flash drive, which contained the only copy of this chapter and I just couldn't seem to recreate it. Anyways, flash drive found and muse alive and kicking (hopefully). So please stick with me, we are in the final sprint towards the finish line and I'm going to try to keep from tripping up again. Anyways, thanks and, as always, please leave a review—I'm kind of a review-whore. _

* * *

Sam could feel eyes on her as she slept. Even without actually seeing him in the room, she knew that Jason was watching her. "Morning."

"Morning," He greeted her and watched as she stretched and then rolled out of bed. Jason stood near the foot of the bed dressed in his usual jeans and black t-shirt, holding a steaming cup of coffee.

"Is that for me?" She nodded to the coffee. Jason handed it to her as she went into the closet to pick out her clothes for the day.

"Breakfast is almost ready." He gestured his head towards the door. "Come down when you're done."

Sam nodded and retreated to the bathroom to get ready. A few minutes later, a fully dressed Sam made her way down the stairs with an empty coffee mug. "Where's Spinelli?" she asked.

Jason pulled her chair out for her. "He's at Maxie's-some kind of crisis or another. Probably about work…or shoes."

Sam nodded and dug into her omelet. "Maybe…or she could be telling him that since Lulu and Dante are moving in together, she'll be homeless in a few weeks."

Jason shrugged-he really didn't care about the latest drama with Lulu and Dante; he only bothered himself with Maxie's troubles because they affected Spinelli as well. "I can get Marko to find her a place."

Sam nodded and took another bite of her breakfast. "It's kind of perfect timing, actually." Jason raised his eyebrow in question. "I already talked to Alex; he doesn't want to stay in my place after I move out. He said he already found another place."

"You want to offer Maxie your penthouse?"

"I want to offer Maxie and Spinelli my penthouse."

Jason put down the coffee that he was about to drink from. "You want Spinelli to move out?" he clarified. Jason hadn't really given much thought to the living arrangements for after the wedding.

"It's not like that," Sam assured him. "He's like a little brother to you and I—I don't want to kick him out—but he and Maxie are pretty serious and I think this would be a good opportunity for them as a couple."

Jason nodded thoughtfully. Spinelli-despite his appearance-was an adult. He had matured greatly while living with Jason but he was still so naïve in many aspects. "It's probably time for him to get his own place," Jason conceded.

"It's entirely up to them, Jason. I just want to give them the opportunity."

Jason looked around the penthouse. "This place has been his home for a long time but I think it's time for him to get out on his own a little bit."

Sam smiled. "I know you're going to worry about him-often-but he's a good man and no matter what, you and I will always be here for him."

Jason nodded. "I'll talk to him about it later."

"And I'll talk to Maxie. I think it'll be good—" Sam was interrupted by someone pounding on the door.

"Jason Morgan—PCPD, open up!" Dante's voice boomed through the penthouse. Jason sighed and got up to answer the door.

"Can we help you?" Jason stared at the detective blankly.

"You're wanted downtown for questioning." Dante pulled out his handcuffs and Jason turned around.

Sam moved to sit on the arm of the couch, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. "For what? Jason has been here with me since last night."

"Have Diane meet me at the station." Dante led Jason out of the penthouse.

Sam let out a frustrated sigh and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Jason was taken down to the station for questioning. He needs you to meet him there." Diane muttered something about there not being enough hours in the day and then hung up. Sam grabbed her keys from the desk and slammed the door behind her as she left.

* * *

"You had a busy night last night." Dante tried to bait his prisoner but Jason stayed mute. "I mean, blowing up three warehouses and having time to do away with both Zacharras-I'm impressed."

Diane stormed into the interrogation room. "My eyes must deceive me because I know there is _no way_ that a fine detective such as yourself would be interrogating my client after he has already requested an attorney."

"Mr. Morgan never requested an attorney—"

"Well then allow me to do so for him. I need a moment with my client." Diane shooed the detective out of the room. "What are you being charged with?"

Jason shrugged. "We weren't that far yet."

"Alright, _hypothetically_, what crimes might the PCPD be charging you with today?"

"I don't know. Dante said something about killing the Zacharras and burning down their warehouses."

"So hypothetically you—"

Jason shook his head vehemently. "I was at home in bed with Sam last night. I didn't do anything-hypothetically or otherwise."

Diane nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, let's get him back in here then." She got up and waved Dante back into the room. "My client is ready to answer your questions-the relevant ones anyways."

"Alright," Dante put a picture down in front of Jason, "Do you recognize this man?"

"That's Anthony Zacharra." The man in question was face down on the ground, wearing his blue prison uniform, with a pool of blood forming around him—he was very dead.

"He was found early this morning."

Diane scoffed. "My client was at home, in bed with his fiancé."

Dante shrugged. "That doesn't mean Jason didn't order the hit."

Diane rolled her eyes. "Just how was Mr. Zacharra killed?"

"He was murdered during a prison riot that your client planned."

"That is pure conjecture. You are now blaming my client for a prison riot and a man's murder without a shred of evidence. Stick to what you can actually prove happened, detective."

Dante pulled out three more pictures and placed them in front of Jason. The pictures looked similar but were definitely different locations. Each picture seemed to catalog the burnt remains of a building somewhere near the docks. "Fine then, let's talk about the buildings you torched and the guards you shot."

"Once again, my client was at home—"

"Yeah, I got it—Sam is his alibi. You want me to believe that the murder of Anthony Zacharra and the demolition of every Zacharra warehouse in Port Charles is just a coincidence—especially considering that the Zacharra's just sank your shipment and killed three of your men. Come on Jason, you had Anthony killed and destroyed his assets in Port Charles as retaliation." Jason just started at Dante with a bored expression on his face.

Diane glared at the detective. "If you have proof that the Zacharra family is responsible for Mr. Morgan's ship being sunk and his crewmen being killed, shouldn't you have one of them in custody instead of harassing my client?"

Dante shook his head and let out a mirthless laugh. "Which brings me to my next point, Johnny Zacharra is missing."

Diane scoffed loudly. "And you believe that my client had something to do with this?"

"He is our prime suspect at this point."

"And the PCPD is sure that Mr. Zacharra is missing—not simply unavailable?" Diane asked incredulously.

Dante sighed. "We have been unable to reach Johnny in regards to his father's death and the attacks on his property."

"For what," she checked her watch, "Six hours then. Johnny Zacharra has been out of reach for all of six hours and you decide that my client is guilty of something nefarious. You can't even be sure of foul play yet—he hasn't even been missing for 48 hours."

"His warehouses were broken into, his guards were shot and his buildings were burnt to the ground. You tell me whether or not we have reason to suspect foul play."

"Unless you have evidence that my client was somehow involved, I suggest you release him now before I file a suit for unlawful detainment."

Dante shook his head. "Don't leave town." Jason and Diane got up to leave. "Morgan," Jason stopped just inside of the interrogation room. "I am going to nail you for this, I promise you." Jason returned the man's glare and walked out of the room.

* * *

"What did you do?" Sam stormed into her apartment, finding Alex sitting on the couch reading a book and nursing a glass of scotch.

"Hello to you, too," he responded wryly—Sam was not amused. Alex put down his book and stood up, "I did what needed to be done."

"They hauled Jason downtown for questioning." Alex walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"He was always going to be the prime suspect no matter what happened to Johnny. Trust me, he'll be fine. There is no evidence that ties him to this—there's no evidence at all actually, just the aftermath."

"_What_ did you do?" She repeated more forcefully this time.

Alex sighed and sat down heavily on the arm of the couch. "I never wanted you to see me work, kiddo. It's not a pretty business and I've done a lot of unforgivable things."

"So you killed him," Sam concluded.

Alex laughed softly. "No. It would have been easier but it wouldn't have solved anything. They way I learned it was in order to defeat someone, you had to completely destroy everything they have—their businesses, their families, their hopes and dreams. I'm pretty good at it."

"What the hell happened, Alex?"

"Well…"

_Flashback:_

"Comfortable?" Johnny's vision was barely coming into focus. "Don't be alarmed, but you aren't going to be able to move any part of your body. I've injected you with a paralytic—it puts the body in a sleep-like state, all of the necessary bodily processes will still happen but you won't have conscious control of anything. It's a derivative of a neurotoxin from spiders—you'll be fine in a few hours, assuming that you don't choke on your own saliva." Alex moved to check the restraints. Johnny was bound to a chair with zip ties and duct tape—not to keep him in, but to keep him sitting upright. Alex tightened the zip ties that bound the man's arms and legs to the high-backed chair. Alex had taped a travel pillow around Johnny's neck to keep his head from lolling over.

"I bet you're wondering why you're here." Alex sat down in a chair across from his captive. "Well, you have been so hell-bent on making yourself a viable threat to Jason that you keep escalating things. First it was stolen shipments and then it was burning buildings down and toying with Sonny's daughter. Now, you've resorted to sinking ships and killing Jason's men. Well congratulations, Mr. Zacharra, you are now a threat. I imagine that you were banking on Jason's respect to save you—you never thought that he'd actually make a serious move. Well you're right—Jason won't make a move against you. Unfortunately, Jason isn't going to be the one handling this particular situation." Alex stood up and moved out of Johnny's line of vision.

"You see, when you got to war with someone," Alex continued loudly so Johnny could hear him, "You end up dragging everyone else along for the ride—in this case, you're dragging my little sister along. And very unfortunately for you, I have neither the regard nor the respect for you that Jason seems to have." Johnny's eyes widened ever so slightly as realization hit him. Alex walked back over to Johnny and stood directly in front of him, at eye level.

"These are legal contracts. Once they are filed, I will be the owner of your waterfront properties and your warehouses in Port Charles. Assuming you haven't choked on your own saliva of course, once you regain the use of your limbs, you are going to sign these and return them to me. I'll leave a knife so you can cut yourself out." Anger rose in Johnny's eyes—the only part of his body that was capable of showing any expression.

"I know, I know. Right now you're thinking, 'Why in the hell would I do that?'." Alex put the papers down and focused his attention on Johnny. "The answer, in case you're wondering, is that you will have no choice. In the span of just a few hours, I am going to rid you of every single thing that you hold dear." Johnny didn't react, he stared Alex down. "I know what you're thinking—I've heard the speech—you think that you have nothing left to lose." Alex smiled sinisterly. His eyes grew cold and dark, like solid slate, and every ounce of warmth that was usually present on his face was missing—it was truly haunting. Alex stood up and walked out of Johnny's vision again. He returned a few moments later rolling a cart with a television perched on it. He turned the television on to a local channel.

"For now, you'll have to suffer through a few infomercials, but after that, the fun is going to start. When the news comes on, the top story will be the utter and complete destruction of all three of your warehouses in Port Charles. Don't worry about your employees—they'll be removed before the buildings are reduced to ashes, assuming they don't resist anyways. That story should repeat throughout the Early Show and then once you get to the Morning Show, we'll really have some fun. The main story for that hour will undoubtedly be the prison riot that is going to break out at first light. As your father is about to find out, Pentonville is a dangerous place—especially if someone paid off a prisoner to commit murder. Now I know, you don't particularly care—your father and you don't exactly see eye-to-eye and the buildings, well they can be rebuilt—but I wonder if you're going to be so cavalier when the only two things you actually have any real feelings for are removed, deliberately and painfully." Alex held up pictures of Ethan and Olivia. "Mr. Lovett, he'll probably run afoul of some former mark…I don't know, I'll make it convincing…and as for Ms. Falconeri, well as of right now she's not too fond of me but after a bit of groveling and maybe some flowers, I'm sure I'll be able to get whatever I want from her." Johnny's breathing was becoming more and more erratic.

"You should really calm your breathing down, you're going to start producing excess saliva—I wasn't kidding about choking. Now, here's what's going to happen: First, you are going to make an appearance at the PCPD and fill out a police report for the warehouses. Next, you are going to drop these papers off to me. Finally, you're going to pack everything you intend to take with you and then get on a plane for another country, never to return. Make no mistake, Mr. Zacharra, I have power and resources that you could only dream about and if you even think about taking a step in this country again, I assure you, I will follow through on every promise I've made tonight." With one last chilling look into Johnny's eyes, Alex left, leaving his captive to think about his proposal.

_End of Flashback_

"Did you really…" Sam couldn't quite form the words.

"Yes. I did," he stated plainly, waiting for her response.

Sam was conflicted. She understood the need for it all—Johnny was a threat that needed to be dealt with, especially with Jake's paternity coming to light—but the fact that her brother did such drastic things threw her. She knew he was capable of it, of course. Alex was a highly decorated Marine; he was a war-veteran, he knew how to fight, plus his years as an NSA Agent taught him how to effectively neutralize threats through subterfuge. That was all he'd done—neutralized a threat—but Sam balked at his tactics. Kidnapping, threatening innocent lives, arranging Anthony's murder…it was a lot to take in.

"I just…I've only ever seen you as a threat when you're defending someone."

He jumped up from his seat. "I was defending someone. I was defending you and Jake and anyone else who might have gotten caught in the middle of one of his little stunts. He may not have ever threatened you directly but he sure as hell didn't care if you got caught in the cross-fire."

Sam began pacing. "I know, I know. It just seems so…extreme."

"Sometimes extreme is the only option, kiddo."

Sam stopped short at his statement. "I know it's necessary. It's just hard to see you as anything other than my mild-mannered older brother—the one who used to lock Cody's door after he passed out so he couldn't have another go at me or who would take me away for a boating trip so I wouldn't have to play a part in one of his cons."

Alex shrugged. "It's the same principal, Sam. I just learned a few new tricks." Sam nodded slightly. "Don't you have a meeting to get to?" Alex looked at his wristwatch.

"Yeah…as long as Jason's done being questioned."

"I'm sure he will be. Diane is too good not too."

Sam nodded and moved towards the door. "You're not a bad person—you did what was necessary to protect people, nothing more." Alex gave her a half smile as she opened the door.

"Oh, sorry." Ethan put his hand down—he had just reached up to knock.

"It's fine." Alex waived him in. Ethan nodded to Sam as he moved past her. She shook her head slightly and then left with one last wave to her brother.

"Compliments of John Zacharra." Ethan handed an envelope over.

"Let's see if he can follow directions," Alex muttered as he grabbed a letter opener off the desk and sliced the package open. When he shook it, a set of legal documents fell into his hand. He read them over, checking that the signatures and dates were all there. "Okay. Let Mr. Zacharra know he and I have an accord." Alex slid the documents into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

Ethan nodded wearily. "Will do." He gave a mock salute and left as quickly as he had come.

Alex pulled his phone out and wrote out a quick text, _Dinner? 8-ish?_ He waited a few moments before he got a response, _I've nothing better to do…_ He chuckled and slid his phone back into his pocket before making his way out of the apartment.

* * *

_AN II: Also, anyone interested in the show Castle—which is AMAZING—please check out my new story. It might take a while for new updates because I have two fics going at the same time but the idea just would not leave me alone. _

_K_


	29. Chapter 29

_AN: I'm back! Yes, I know it took me entirely too long to post this but I've honestly been feeling a serious lack of inspiration to finish this. I'm trying to push my way through it. I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter but hopefully you guys will like it. As always, please leave me some feedback. I love to hear from you guys. _

_K  
_

* * *

"Okay, I like this one." Maxie held up the magazine so Sam could see the picture.

Sam made a face at the dress. "No pink."

"It's French Rose," the blond corrected.

"Do you really think it'll make a difference to Jason? Besides, I sort of had my heart set on a really dark blue or a deep red."

"That sounds lovely," Alexis offered and picked up another bridal magazine to thumb through.

Maxie rolled her eyes. "I suppose I should just be grateful you're not making me wear black to your wedding."

Kristina laughed. "I honestly thought we were going to," she admitted. "It's like you and Jason are allergic to color."

"Hey, I wear colors!" Sam defended.

"You wear different shades of black," Maxie admonished.

"It doesn't matter because Sam can get Jason to do anything—I've seen it," Molly interjected and sent the assembled group into fits of laughter. Sam, her sisters and Maxie were all huddled together on her couch while Alexis was sitting in a lounge chair off to the side of the group but still close enough to be involved.

"Well there is a sight that I could certainly get used to," Alex commented as he strolled into the living room. He wore a charcoal grey pinstriped suit with a white dress shirt. He was, as usual, having difficulties fixing his tie.

Sam rolled her eyes and got up from the couch to help him. "I swear, you're hopeless."

"I'll get it eventually," Alex protested but continued to let Sam adjust his tie properly. It was one of those things that he did solely so to make her happy. Alex figured that he'd put his little sister through enough already. If letting her fuss over his tie and living in the spare bedroom of her apartment made her happy and allowed her to worry less, he'd suffer through the indignities.

"We'll see," Sam muttered doubtfully.

"And what are you lovely ladies up to this afternoon?" Alex looked at all the women assembled. Maxie, as usual, was her chipper and upbeat self. Alexis, Molly and Kristina on the other hand still looked a little ragged. It was obvious that the events at Wyndemere still played heavily on their minds.

"We're picking out bridesmaids dresses for the wedding," Molly answered with forced enthusiasm.

Alex nodded slowly. "Ah, yes. And how's that going?"

"We have the style down," Kristina held up a picture, "Now we're just trying to help Sam pick a color." She too seemed to be trying for Sam's sake.

"Mmm. Did _you_ pick a style yet?" he asked Sam.

She shrugged. "I've been looking but—"

"But since the wedding is this weekend, everything will have to be _off the rack_," Maxie supplied with obvious disdain in her voice.

Alex cocked his head sideways and tapped his chin with his index finger, feigning serious thought. "I might have a solution for you." He pulled a scrap of paper from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and handed it to his sister.

"Dominic Russo," Sam read off the name. "Who is that?"

"He's some new up and coming designer apparently—all the rage in Manhattan right now." Alex shook his head slightly; he really had no interest in fashion or designers. "Anyway, he is expecting a call from you and—"

"You know _Dominic_ _Russo_?" Maxie demanded.

Alex gave her a curious look. "Does that name mean something to you?"

She scoffed. "Dominic Russo is pretty much the hottest new designer _ever_. Everyone wants an original design from him. How in the hell did _you_ manage to get his number?"

"Well, I didn't actually do anything. A friend of mine put me in touch with him." Alex turned to Sam. "He's willing to fit you in today if you're interested. You can all go visit his studio in Manhattan this afternoon and he'll have your dresses ready by Friday."

Sam started to protest. "Alex—"

"Consider it my contribution to the wedding, Kiddo," Alex cut off any further protests. "Jason is paying for everything else, let me take care of this."

She nodded. "Okay."

Alex clapped his hands together. "Fantastic. Now call one of Jason's drivers and have them escort you."

Sam glared at her brother. "I don't need a driver," she bit out.

He gave her a stern look in return. "Call a driver, don't shuck your guard."

"I don't need a guard," Sam insisted fiercely. She hated being treated like a damsel in distress. Sam McCall could take care of herself.

Alex sighed and softened his look. "Given all that's happened lately, will you please—if for nothing other than my piece of mind—call a driver and take a guard?"

Sam sighed and her posture slouched. She hated it when he pulled that 'sincere, I just want you to be safe' crap—it worked every time. "Fine," she conceded.

"Thank you," he whispered and then brightened his smile. He looked over Sam's shoulder to the other women assembled in the living room. "Have fun, it's all on me." He pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed Sam his credit card.

"That's not necessary, Alex. I can cover the girls' dresses," Alexis argued.

Alex put his hands up. "Please Alexis, I'd like to do it." She nodded after a moment. "Fantastic. I have some business to take care of, so you ladies have a great time." He waved once more before moving towards the door.

"I'll walk you to the elevator," Sam stopped him before he could make it to the door.

Alex nodded and held the door open for her. "As I'm more than capable of walking to the elevator on my own, I'll assume you have something to speak to me about in private."

"You're going to see Jason." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes. I have some papers for him," he replied vaguely.

Sam looked down at the ground. "The immunity papers?"

Alex nodded as he hit the button to call the elevator. "Yes. Kate gave them to me last night."

"So that's it then. It's all done." Her voice was devoid of emotion. "You've condemned yourself to a life in the mob because it's the only way to stay in my life."

Alex licked his lips before he spoke. "This is what's best for everyone, okay? You have to believe that I made this choice on my own. Yes, you were a factor, but this was entirely my decision." Sam nodded but said nothing. "Listen, I'm trying to let you live your own life, make your own mistakes. Please, try to do the same for me. "

"Okay," she said softly before she turned to him and engulfed him in a hug.

"Okay." Alex closed his eyes and placed a light kiss on the top of her head. The dinging of the elevator interrupted their moment. "I'm going to go take care of everything here. I want you to forget about everything going on right now except for your wedding. Go design the perfect dress, pick out something that your sisters would actually like wearing and just have some fun. You deserve it."

Sam smiled slightly. "I'll try." She kissed Alex on the cheek and let him get on the elevator. "Bye."

He nodded once as the elevator doors closed. Sam took a deep breath to clear her thoughts and turned to head back into her apartment.

* * *

Milo stuck his head into the office. "Mr. Orsino is here to see you, Boss."

Jason rubbed his face roughly. "Send him in." The young guard nodded and quickly let Alex into the office, closing the door behind him.

"Hey." He pulled up the chair in front of Jason's desk. "Is this a bad time?"

Jason shook his head. "Just trying to fill out some customs forms."

Alex nodded. "So, Sam told me the good news. Dr. Webber agreed to share custody."

Jason nodded. It had been a long and tedious meeting. Both parties wanted to make sure that Jake and Cam were in a loving, stable environment. Unfortunately, both parties also had demanding jobs that made raising two young boys very difficult. In the end, Jason and Sam had agreed to pick up the slack for Elizabeth's brother. When Dr. Webber was unable to be with the boys, which would be fairly often considering his position as chief of staff, Sam and Jason would keep them. "We're still working out a schedule but Cam and Jake will definitely be spending time at the penthouse."

"Good, that's good. I'm glad that you were able to find a solution without having to involve the courts."

Jason nodded again. "That was the last thing any of us wanted. The boys have been through enough."

Alex nodded absently. "The PCPD won't be able to file charges against you," he said after a few moments of silence.

Jason sighed and put his pen down on the desk. "When you said you were going to handle it, I wasn't really sure what to expect."

Alex shrugged. "Shock and awe campaigns can be very useful. I made a strong first impression and no one will be questioning your authority for a while."

"You took a big risk; a lot of things could have gone wrong. You used outside help. You raided the warehouses while workers were present—"

"I did what was necessary," Alex cut him off. "Johnny Zacharra had been openly challenging you and your territories for months and you were doing nothing. The other families were starting to question your ability to run your organization. He was a nuisance and was dealt with accordingly."

"Johnny will retaliate," Jason insisted. "You attacked every single part of his organization. You had his father killed! Do you really think he's going to let this go? That he's just going to run away with his tail between his legs?"

"I assure you, Johnny is out of the picture." Alex pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. "He knows what's at stake if he doesn't leave permanently. Besides, he has no reason to be in Port Charles anymore."

Jason shook his head. "Johnny owns piers, warehouses; he has friends here. He won't stay gone for long."

"I assure you, John Zacharra won't be a problem again." Alex slid the papers across the desk to Jason.

"He just signed them over to you?" Jason asked after he read the documents over.

"I was very persuasive. It's all legal," he added at Jason's dubious look.

Jason nodded and blew out a long breath. "What now?"

"Now it's time to make me part of your organization. I think it's time for Corinthos-Morgan to take on a new business partner."

"That's going to put a lot of extra attention on you."

Alex nodded. "Exactly. What better way to show that I'm in your organization? You'll have full access to my resources—trust me, they are vast. I have money and business holdings all over the world. Plus, my records are impeccable."

Jason stared at his soon-to-be-brother-in-law for a long moment. "I'll call Diane to draw up the contracts."

Alex nodded. "Good, she can take possession of these while she's at it." He pulled another set of documents from his suit jacket. "The immunity papers for you and Sam."

"What immunity papers?" Diane demanded as she stormed into Jason's office.

"We were just about to call you," Alex commented glibly.

"I'm sure," she cast him a disapproving look. "What was that about immunity papers?"

Alex handed the documents over to the lawyer. "Compliments of the US government."

Diane read over the documents carefully. "What's the catch?" she demanded. "There is no way on God's green Earth that the US Government would just hand these out to my client. He's been on their list for years."

"We're going to say this is covered under attorney/client confidentiality," Alex muttered. "The immunity guarantee is a stipulation in my contract."

"You work for the Feds?"

Alex scoffed. "No. I work for the NSA."

Diane rolled her eyes. "Because that is so much better. So what, you're here to take down Jason's operation from the inside?"

"No."

"Then what does the NSA want?"

"Having a high position in Jason's organization gives me—them—a lot of clout and unrestricted access to people that normally would be impossible to approach."

"What do they want?" Diane demanded.

Alex shrugged. "What do all government agencies want these days? They want to root out possible threats to national security. They'll have me conduct business with people, track where the money funnels out. They want to know who's in bed with whom. Who's being secretly backed by their government and who's getting funding from militant extremists."

She narrowed her eyes. "The NSA is using you to identify possible terrorists. It has nothing to do with any possible mob activity on my client's part?"

Alex smiled and shook his head. "It has nothing to do with Jason and everything to do with me. My brother-in-law being an alleged mob King Pin was simply a happy coincidence as far as the NSA is concerned."

Diane nodded stiffly. "I assume there are stipulations."

"Yes, I have to report to a handler. There will be specific people they want me to conduct business with and I'll have to keep them apprised of my progress. Basically, I have to play by their rules."

"But Jason and Sam will never be tried for another crime?"

"Neither Jason nor Sam will ever see the inside of a prison," Alex replied.

Diane shook her head, she hated when people didn't give direct answers. "That's not the same thing."

Alex sighed. "They'll still be arrested from time to time, of course, but the NSA will make it nearly impossible for the DA's Office to file charges let alone actually go to trial and get a conviction."

"But it's not completely out of the realm of possibilities."

Alex shook his head tiredly. "On the _minuscule_ chance that one of them is convicted, say the prosecution has a video or an eye-witness to a murder, then the NSA will step in. There will be a public sentencing, but they will never serve out the sentence. Instead, they will be taken into Witness Protection and they can start over. New place, new name and they won't be in prison for the rest of their lives."

Diane frowned. "Their lives would be over. They could never come home, never contact their families again."

"It's a good last resort," Jason silenced his attorney on the subject. It may not be the perfect 'get-out-of-jail-free card' but it would keep him and Sam out of prison if it ever came down to it. Both Jason and Sam were very careful during their 'questionable' activities so it was more than likely that they would never even have to enlist the NSA's help; but it was nice having a safety net if they ever needed it. "Alex held up his end. I will too."

Alex nodded and stood. "And on that note, I'll leave the two of you to write up those contracts and hammer out the details." He placed all of the documents he had on Jason's desk. "Call me when they're ready to sign."

Jason nodded as Alex left. He explained to Diane what types of contracts needed to be drawn up.

"That's it? You're going to let him in the business?"

"These are the assets he's bringing to the company." Jason pushed the contracts closer to her.

"He just happens to own the Zacharra piers and warehouses—a day after they were attacked and Anthony Zacharra was killed?" Diane asked incredulously.

Jason shrugged. "It's a legal contract. Make it happens, Diane. And then let Bernie know he needs to create a position for Alex as my Head of Security."

She rolled her eyes and walked away muttering something about impossible clients who never take her advice.

* * *

"So I was thinking," Sam started as she and Maxie watched Russo's assistants take Kristina and Molly's measurements so alterations on the dresses could be made.

"That's dangerous coming from you."

Sam rolled her eyes at her best friend. "I'm going to be moving into Jason's penthouse after the wedding. It's bigger than my place and way easier for security. Unfortunately, that means that my place will be empty."

Maxie perked up at that. "Isn't your brother going to live there?"

Sam shrugged. "Alex said he didn't want it. He already found a place."

Maxie nodded slowly. "So…"

Sam bit her lip lightly. "I was thinking that you might like to live there. It's a nice building, plenty of space plus there's a hot tub on the deck."

"Sam," Maxie laughed, "I can barely afford my place now. As high-profile as my job is, I'm still just an assistant. There is no way I can make the payments on your penthouse."

Sam raised an eyebrow at her friend. "You know that I own it, right? I pay maintenance fees and property taxes once a year."

"I don't want charity, Sam," Maxie said softly.

Sam smiled on the inside. While her friend could often be selfish and childish, Maxie Jones was a self-made woman. She worked for everything she had and she didn't accept hand-outs (with the exception of designer freebies—they were the fringe benefit of dealing with Kate Howard all day). "You can pay rent if you want. Honestly, if you don't move it it's just going to go unoccupied."

"You could sell it," her friend suggested. "I know the market isn't great right now but a place like yours would go quick."

Sam sighed. "I don't think I could ever sell it. It was the first place that I had ever bought by myself, _for_ myself. When I was little, I was constantly in and out of motels and cheap rent-by-the-week apartments. And then I spent years living on a boat, the boat that my brother bought me."

"And the penthouse has always been Jason's," Maxie pointed out. "You guys should just buy something new—a place where no bad memories are attached."

Sam laughed. "I thought about it. I mean, he and Elizabeth had sex in the living room, made a baby. And Jason and I destroyed each other in that house. But it's also where we became friends and fell in love. It was the first place, other than my boat, that I had ever felt safe."

"You're moving into his lair," Mxie joked.

"You re-decorated it!"

"And despite all of my fabulous work, it still feels like a sterile environment. I mean seriously, would it kill the man to have one personal item on display?"

"His mantle is full of pictures," Sam defended with a laugh.

"We both know that Carly put most of those up," she dismissed her friend.

"He had a pool table, one that was used pretty frequently until you decided to take it away."

"A pool table is not a substitute for a dining room table!" Maxie argued for the millionth time.

Sam shook her head. "If it makes you feel any better, we're having it renovated while we take our honeymoon."

"Really?" Maxie was surprised.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Jake and Cam are going to need proper rooms for when they come over plus we wanted to open up the den so that they have a nice sized play room."

"What about Spinelli?"

"I was kind of thinking that he'd move in with you. He's your non-husband. I figured that this would be a good opportunity for you guys to take another step forward."

Maxie smiled but Sam could still see the slight bit of panic in her friend's eyes. "Yeah, that would be a big step for us."

"Don't stress about it, just think it over." Sam placed a hand on Maxie's shoulder. "Talk it over with Spinelli. My offer stands even if you don't decide to live together."

"Thanks, Sam." Maxie silently let out the breath that she had been holding.

"Okay, we're all done," Russo's assistant announced as she led Molly and Kristina over to Sam and Maxie.

"Where did Mom go?" Molly asked.

"Work call," Sam pointed outside. "Did you get everything you needed?" she asked the assistant.

"Yes. Everything will be ready for a final fitting Friday morning."

"Fantastic, thank you." Sam stood up and gathered her things.

"You know, my boss would love to meet Mr. Russo," Maxie said as she slipped her purse over her shoulder.

"Really?" the woman asked with a patronizing tone, "And who is your boss?"

"Kate Howard, the editor of Crimson," Maxie replied haughtily.

She plastered a fake smile on her face. "I suppose a meeting could be arranged," the assistant bit out.

"Perfect," Maxie replied with false brightness. "I'll give you a call when I get back to the office." The blond turned on her heel and strolled from the room, leaving Sam and her sisters to follow quickly.


End file.
